India and Sri Lanka have reviewed maritime cooperation with a focus on maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, counter-narcotics operations, piracy, illegal fishing and humanitarian assistance. The agenda reflects how security in the Indian Ocean increasingly depends on shared information rather than isolated patrols.
Maritime domain awareness means building a usable picture of what is happening at sea by combining vessel tracking, coastal sensors, intelligence and operational coordination. For neighbours separated by a narrow stretch of ocean, better information can improve both routine law enforcement and emergency response.
The relationship also has a sensitive fisheries dimension. Maritime cooperation therefore has to combine security interests with the livelihoods and legal disputes that shape India-Sri Lanka relations in the Palk Bay and surrounding waters.