New think tank SASSRI to boost maritime security and sustainability in South Asia

• Experts called for interdisciplinary research, strategic thought and collaboration to advance economic, maritime and environmental security of region

SASSRI Director Dr. Nirmal De Silva

Gateway House Professorial Fellow and Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Visiting Senior Fellow  Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja

IRO Director and KDU Centre for Strategic Assessment Director Dr. Harinda Vidanage

Former Military Adviser to the Indian Prime Minister Lieutenant General (Retd.) Vinod G. Khandare

Synergia Foundation India Chief Strategic Officer Lieutenant General (Retd.)  G. A.V. Reddy

Colonel Nalin Herath

By Divya Thotawatte 

As part of a growing push for regional collaboration, the South Asia Sustainability and Security Research Institute (SASSRI) was launched in Colombo on Wednesday to advance resilience, sustainability, and cooperation across South Asia. 

The SASSRI is positioned as a multidisciplinary hub, working with governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector to generate knowledge, shape policy, and strengthen partnerships for a sustainable and secure future. The inauguration brought together distinguished leaders, diplomats, scholars, and practitioners to explore collaborative approaches to maritime security and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region.

Former Indian Defence Ministry Principal Adviser and former Military Adviser to the Indian Prime Minister Lieutenant General (Retd.) Vinod G. Khandare and Synergia Foundation India Chief Strategic Officer and Defence Intelligence Agency India former Director-General Lieutenant General (Retd.) G.A.V. Reddy were Guests of Honour at the event. SASSRI Director Dr. Nirmal De Silva said: “In today’s VUCA world, our challenges are global. It is no longer an individual problem, and neither are opportunities. In order to leverage these opportunities, we need to emphasise research and collaboration.” 

He highlighted the importance of moving beyond narrow, short-term perspectives, calling for a collaborative approach that addresses challenges such as food security, digital security, and sustainable governance in the region. 

Speaking at the event, Gateway House Professorial Fellow and Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Visiting Senior Fellow Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja also highlighted the pivotal moment that South Asia is experiencing, noting both its economic potential and persistent structural challenges. He stressed that economic security should be treated as a core component of national security, and that lessons from both regional reforms and international collaboration can guide sustainable growth across South Asia.

“There is opportunity, but there’s also these deep-seated challenges, and we need an interdisciplinary approach to understand this and formulate a strategic response. By convening scholars across this geography, the SASSRI can build on the strengths that it has in Sri Lanka and provide pragmatic solutions.”

Giving the keynote speech, International Relations Office (IRO) Director and Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Centre for Strategic Assessment (CSA) Director Dr. Harinda Vidanage also reflected on the complex global and regional environment, outlining recent geopolitical events and major transitions shaping South Asia. He highlighted the critical need for strategic thought in Sri Lanka and other small States, noting the importance of interdisciplinary research and forward-looking analysis to navigate challenges and leverage opportunities. 

“One of the things that’s really missing in our Sri Lankan context is the major deficit in strategic thought. That’s the area we need to work on,” Dr. Vidanage said, emphasising the role of think tanks in cultivating this capability. 

He further stressed the strategic significance of maritime and financial security, technological change, and global rivalries. “This ‘iron triangle’ of geopolitics, geoeconomics, and geotechnology will dominate politics and development for the next 50 years. Functioning effectively as a think tank in this environment requires continuous engagement and dialogue,” he said. 

The launch was followed by a roundtable discussion featuring University of Ruhuna Coastal Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department Director-General and Oceanography Professor Terney Pradeep Kumara, Maldives Policy Think Tank Chairperson and former Deputy Speaker of the Maldives Eva Abdulla, and National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) India Member Rear Admiral Monty Khanna.  This discussion, themed “Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean Region,” focused on regional security and sustainability challenges in the Indian Ocean. Panellists highlighted the growing strategic importance of small States like Sri Lanka and the Maldives. They noted that geopolitical shifts, debt pressures, and economic limitations are shaping their foreign policy decisions. 

The panellists also underlined maritime and environmental sustainability as key priorities, and ocean warming, sea-level rise, acidification, and unsustainable fishing practices as pressing regional threats. They too, stressed the need for collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches, policy frameworks, and innovative research to address these challenges, underlining the role of think tanks like the SASSRI in translating ideas into actionable strategies for regional resilience.

Colonel Nalin Herath former Director General of the Institute of National Security Studies and Spokesman Ministry of Defence, Nalin Herath will take over as Executive Director once his formal premature retirement is approved by the Sri Lanka Army HQ.

- Pix by Ruwan Walpola

Former Military Adviser to the Indian Prime Minister Lieutenant General (Retd.) Vinod G. Khandare (right) launching the SASSRI website 

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