India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced a comprehensive $450 million reconstruction package to assist Sri Lanka in recovering from the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Ditwah.
The package, delivered as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a two-day visit to Colombo, consists of USD 350 million in concessional lines of credit and USD 100 million in grants. This financial commitment aims to restore essential infrastructure, including roads, railways, and bridges, as well as rebuild over 100,000 damaged homes and revitalise the health and agricultural sectors.
The announcement follows the immediate relief efforts under Operation Sagar Bandhu, which was launched on 28 November 2025, the day Cyclone Ditwah made landfall. During the emergency phase, the Indian Navy deployed the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and INS Udayagiri to Colombo to deliver 1,100 tonnes of relief material and 14.5 tonnes of medical supplies.
Additionally, an 80-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team and 85 Indian Army medical personnel established a field hospital near Kandy, treating more than 8,000 victims. The cyclone, which caused the worst flooding since the early 2000s, has left over 640 people dead and affected roughly 10% of the population.
This assistance underscores India's "Neighbourhood First" policy and its role as a regional first responder. Minister Jaishankar held extensive talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath to ensure the aid is delivered expeditiously.
With the World Bank estimating direct damages at USD 4.1 billion, approximately 4% of Sri Lanka's GDP this Indian initiative provides critical support as the nation, still recovering from the 2022 economic crisis, faces its most challenging natural disaster in history.