India’s covert fuel transfers to Trincomalee spark strategic fears, as observers warn of a creeping military build-up under the guise of energy cooperation. Could Sri Lanka’s sovereignty be at risk?
India has begun discreetly amassing fuel reserves both crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee tank farm, reigniting debates over national sovereignty, regional power plays, and the strategic utility of this eastern port.
While Indian officials insist their activities at Trincomalee are purely energy-related and aligned with bilateral cooperation, the secretive nature of fuel transfers has led observers to believe otherwise. Many suggest the tank farm could evolve into a military logistics and refueling base for India’s navy, giving New Delhi deeper strategic reach in the Indian Ocean.
This silent expansion occurs as China continues its own operations at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port, which Beijing controls under a 99-year lease. India’s apparent effort to secure a counterbalance at Trincomalee signals its intent to protect influence over vital maritime lanes and maintain dominance across the region.
Yet, many Sri Lankans are uneasy. Political commentators and civil society groups have raised red flags about transparency, citing risks to national sovereignty and the lack of clarity around India’s long-term intentions.
“This is more than just energy collaboration. It’s quiet militarization dressed up as economic partnership,” warned a former diplomat familiar with Indo-Lanka dynamics.
Sources indicate India has been stockpiling fuel quietly for some time. Large Indian tankers have anchored offshore, with smaller boats ferrying cargo to inland tanks now under Indian control. These tanks part of a massive World War II-era complex are among the largest in Asia, with over 99 tanks spread across 850 acres. The site is now managed by Lanka IOC, a subsidiary of the Indian Oil Corporation, under a long-term lease with Colombo.
Although framed as economic cooperation, the current spike in stockpiling activity hints at more strategic undertones. Maritime trackers and port analysts confirm that Indian vessels carrying petroleum and LNG are arriving frequently. But instead of docking openly at port, deliveries are offloaded using small, controlled operations keeping visibility low and raising suspicions among defense analysts.
“This doesn’t look like a regular fuel deal. The coordination and secrecy suggest something long-term and strategic,” noted a Sri Lankan defense official, speaking anonymously.
India’s growing footprint in Trincomalee has also brought renewed attention to the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987. Once focused on resolving civil conflict, the accord also includes lesser-known provisions that arguably grant India influence over Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast including Trincomalee.
One such clause prohibits foreign nations “hostile to India” from using Sri Lankan ports, essentially giving New Delhi an indirect veto over Colombo’s future alliances. Analysts say these vague clauses have allowed India to gradually entrench itself in Trincomalee without triggering direct diplomatic pushback.
“The Indo-Lanka Accord contains strategic DNA that’s only now being fully activated,” remarked a regional security expert based in Delhi.
As India deepens its quiet hold over Trincomalee, Sri Lanka stands at the intersection of two competing powers India and China both expanding influence through ports once thought to be purely commercial.
