EAM Sushma Swaraj highlights ‘Sagarmala’ project to boost regional connectivity

Addressing the Indian Ocean Conference in Hanoi earlier this week, Sushma Swaraj, Hon. Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, said that under the Sagarmala project, India is developing projects in neighbouring countries in various sectors ranging from transportation to education.

Amit Bhandari, Fellow for Energy and Environment Studies at Gateway House, remarks, “By helping boost regional connectivity among the neighbourhood, India can help these countries stay out of the Chinese debt-trap. This has most recently been the case with Sri Lanka, and is a risk to countries such as Pakistan and the Maldives.”

In a research project led by Bhandari, Gateway House has identified over 400 Chinese funded projects in six of India’s neighbours, with an estimated value of $150 billion. This includes power projects, railways, roads, ports and financial infrastructure.