India-UAE-Sri Lanka Forge Energy Hub Alliance Amid Rising Regional Dynamics

India, the UAE, and Sri Lanka have reached an agreement to develop an energy hub in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. This initiative marks New Delhi's competitive presence against China in the region. The hub includes a multi-product pipeline, leveraging cooperation with UAE and addressing financial and infrastructural restructuring.

India and the United Arab Emirates have entered a strategic collaboration to establish an energy hub in Sri Lanka, the Indian foreign ministry announced. This trilateral initiative underscores New Delhi's increasing competition with China over influence in the Indian Ocean island nation.

The agreement follows a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka—his first since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assumed office. It aims to bolster strategic ties as Sri Lanka recovers from a financial crisis initiated in 2022, during which India extended $4 billion in aid.

The proposed site for the energy hub is Trincomalee, leveraging its natural harbor for a multi-product pipeline. The project promotes India-UAE collaboration in the energy sector, with further business discussions pending. This partnership reflects regional power dynamics as both infrastructure and financial strategies reshape collaborative efforts in South Asia.

(With inputs from agencies.)