Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, concluded a significant four-day official visit to India aimed at deepening bilateral military ties between the two neighbouring countries on Saturday (June 14). The highlight of his visit was his emotional return to the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun, where he was commissioned as an officer in December 1990.
Returning as the Reviewing Officer for the IMA’s Passing Out Parade (PoP), Rodrigo addressed the next generation of officers with emotion and pride. In his address to the graduating cadets, he recalled his own days at the Academy, describing it as a place that did more than train soldiers—it forged lifelong bonds. “Looking at your faces, I see my younger self,” he said adding that IMA doesn’t just train officers; it forges bonds that last a lifetime.
Interestingly, he is the first IMA alumnus to return in the role of Army Commander of Sri Lanka. Beyond this, his presence served a glimpse into the role Indian Army plays in building defence partnerships with neighbouring nations.
Why did India’s IMA train Sri Lanka’s Lieutenant General Rodrigo?
India has long served as a key partner in developing Sri Lanka’s military leadership. Today, Sri Lanka Army remains the largest foreign participant in India’s military training ecosystem. At any given time, about 700 Sri Lankan personnel are enrolled across Indian Army institutions. These include prestigious centres such as the Defence Services Staff College, Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Infantry School, the School of Artillery, and of course the IMA among others.
At this year’s PoP, two Sri Lankan officer cadets were among those commissioned. With their graduation, the number of Sri Lankan Army officers trained at IMA has now reached 296. Since 1948, IMA has hosted pre-commission training for cadets from various African and Asian nations, making it a cornerstone of India’s defence diplomacy.
In the Indian Ocean region, this translates to India having allies who have a deep personal bond with the country where their pre-commissioning training happened.
What is India-Sri Lanka defence partnership like?
Training is only one facet of the bilateral defence relationship. In April 2025, India and Sri Lanka signed a landmark MoU on defence cooperation, described by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri as an “umbrella framework” that would better structure existing engagements and pave the way for joint exercises, high-level exchanges, and disaster relief cooperation. The MoU is also expected to facilitate naval port calls and initiate dialogue on defence industry cooperation.
Lieutenant General Rodrigo’s visit continues a tradition of regular Army-to-Army engagements that play a vital role in strengthening regional security and strategic trust. India and Sri Lanka already host an Annual Defence Dialogue at the level of defence secretaries and conduct bilateral exercises such as Mitra Shakti, held alternately in both countries.
The visit also mirrors reciprocal high-level military visits. Former Indian Army Chiefs have previously travelled to Sri Lanka for joint drills and strategic dialogues. Rodrigo’s presence in India reaffirms Sri Lanka’s commitment to that tradition and further cements the strategic relationship through shared training standards, interoperability, and sustained military diplomacy.
This recent illustration, while significant, is not new. Such meetings have happened with most neighbouring nations. Indeed, they have had a huge role in promoting camraderie with India.