Colombo, Aug 17 — Sri Lanka has emerged as the country with the most positive perception of India, local media reported citing a new survey across 36 countries which shows how people all over the world continue to have a favourable view of India.
"Sri Lanka gave India the strongest rating, with 79 per cent of respondents expressing a favourable opinion. Only 11 per cent viewed India negatively. Around 63 per cent of Sri Lankans also identified India as a key ally for their country," Newswire Lanka reported while highlighting details from the new survey done by Washington-based Pew Research Center.
"The positive perception has improved significantly from 2024, when 65 per cent of respondents in Sri Lanka had a favourable view of India," it added.
The report stated that the survey, conducted between February and May this year, covered more than 42,000 people. Across the countries surveyed, a median of 45 per cent expressed a favourable view of India.
"The improved sentiment comes amid stronger India-Sri Lanka relations. After Sri Lanka faced a severe economic crisis and widespread unrest in 2022, India extended major support to the island nation. Its assistance included credit lines and financial aid worth more than USD 7.5 billion. The support has played an important role in the recent improvement in bilateral ties," Newswire Lanka reported.
India's assistance for development projects in Sri Lanka has exceeded USD 7.5 billion with the projects covering all 25 districts.
According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, with over USD 7.5 billion in assistance, including more than USD 850 million in grants, India’s people-oriented projects span all 25 districts of Sri Lanka - transforming housing, healthcare, education, railways, energy, and livelihoods across the island nation
India’s people-centric development partnership with Sri Lanka stands out as one of the most important pillars of the bilateral relationship. India’s developmental assistance projects are based on the priorities set by the government and the people of Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission in Colombo has stated.
The assistance projects have been widely appreciated for their transparent approach and implementation through the use of local materials and manpower, in a manner that supports the local economy. The assistance focuses on capacity-building, human resource development, uplifting of weaker sections as well as infrastructure development and various other aspects related to daily lives such as housing, education, health, industrial development, livelihood support, transport, etc.