Sri Lanka's powerful Rajapaksa dynasty consolidated its grip over power, with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's elder brother Mahinda becoming the prime minister in 2020 - a year which witnessed strengthening of Colombo's ties with New Delhi and revival of a key trilateral maritime dialogue involving India after a gap of six years.
The high hopes of an economic revival that accompanied the Rajapaksas' return to power turned into despair soon after the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the island in mid-March, plunging it into the worst financial crisis.
President Gotabaya's administration has emphasised that its 'India-First' policy, which resonates well with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, would be the cornerstone of Colombo's outreach to New Delhi.