India and the UK have identified crisis-hit Sri Lanka as a key country of interest for their Global Innovation Partnership, an initiative aimed at promoting collaboration in development projects in third countries. The partnership is set to focus on climate-smart innovations and is expected to prioritize countries and sectors next year.
Early-stage talks between India and the UK have already begun, exploring cooperation in Sri Lanka’s power and energy sector. As Sri Lanka grapples with an energy crisis that led to widespread power cuts and fuel shortages, both countries are keen to bolster the island-nation’s energy security.
The Global Innovation Partnership seeks to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries, particularly in Africa, South Asia, and the wider Indo-Pacific region. It aims to foster, scale up, and transfer climate innovations from India to partner countries.
India has already undertaken several bilateral projects to enhance Sri Lanka’s energy security, including the construction of a multi-product petroleum pipeline and the interlinking of power grids between the two nations. These initiatives were announced during Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi in July.
As Sri Lanka works towards economic recovery, joint investments in energy security by India and the UK could prove instrumental in providing support. Efforts are also underway to expedite the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm project, which is significant for India’s energy reserve-building efforts and Sri Lanka’s energy security improvement.
Additionally, both countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in renewable energy and made progress on the 135MW Sampur solar power project.
India has previously engaged in trilateral development cooperation initiatives, partnering with Germany to work with countries such as Peru, Malawi, Cameroon, and Ghana on various projects. The new development may add Mozambique to the list of countries. However, past attempts at trilateral partnerships, such as the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) with Japan in the African continent, faced obstacles and did not materialize fully.