India and Sri Lanka have strengthened their maritime partnership to counter narcotics trafficking in the Indian Ocean, primarily linked to Pakistan-based networks. The collaboration involves joint patrols, shared intelligence, and coordinated interceptions, reflecting a strategic response to a common threat that enhances regional security. The initiative has led to significant drug seizures and signals to traffickers that these routes are increasingly monitored. Additionally, this partnership serves to reassure smaller Indian Ocean states of regional stability being managed by local players rather than external powers, positioning India as a credible maritime stabilizer and undermining Pakistan’s trafficking operations.