16th June 2025
Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo RSP ctf-ndu psc IG, Commander of the Army, successfully concluded an official visit to India, undertaken at the invitation of General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army.
During the visit, the Army Chief held high-level meetings with key Indian defence leaders, including Defence Secretary Rajesh Singh, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lieutenant General Raja Subramaniam and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Command, Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh. These discussions centred on bilateral and regional defence cooperation, strategic partnerships, and enhancing interoperability between the two armed forces.
As a special event of the visit, the Army Chief participated in the Passing Out Parade (POP) of Cadets as the Chief Guest at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun on 14 June 2025.
The event held special significance for the Commander of the Army, an alumnus of the IMA, who was commissioned in 1990. He was warmly received by the Commandant of the IMA, Lieutenant General Nagendra Singh.
As part of the day's events, the Commander of the Army also met Lieutenant General Devendra Sharma, Commander of the Indian Army Training Command (ARTRAC), to explore avenues for updating and enhancing military training exchanges and cooperation.
The Commander of the Army also paid tribute to India’s fallen War Heroes at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, reflecting the shared military traditions and mutual respect between the two nations.
The visit served to strengthen and further deepen the longstanding defence and security ties between Sri Lanka and India, reaffirming a shared commitment to regional peace and stability.
Major General M.J.R.S Medagoda RSP USP ndc psc IG, the Commandant, Sri Lanka Military Academy, also attended the visit as a distinguished invitee.
