New Delhi : India is closely monitoring Sri Lanka's decision to offer foreign investors control of an airport near the China-controlled Hambantota port, as it could present a rare opening for Indian firms seeking strategic footholds in the Indian Ocean, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday. The Sri Lankan government has already called for expressions of interest from domestic and international investors by June 9 to take control of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) in Hambantota under a 30-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.
In 2017, China gained control of the strategic Hambantota port through a 99-year lease that had raised concerns in New Delhi in view of the location of the mega transit hub.
New Delhi is watching the new opportunity with a keen eye, as both neighbouring countries have been looking to forge greater trade and strategic relations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the island nation in April last year.
The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, located about 250 km from the capital Colombo, has endured a troubled first decade, the people said.
17/05/2026 Deccan Chronicle
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