India pledges USD 500M to Male-Thilafushi bridge

India has pledged to provide USD 500 million to the Maldives for the Male’ Thilafushi bridge project.

The planned bridge project will connect the Male’ City and Gulhifalhu. The government had previously stated that the project funding included aid from India. Foreign Ministry said that India will be providing USD 500 million to the project. 

The news was confirmed in a phone call between the Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar with Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid today. 

The Foreign Ministry said, “The package of USD 500 million by the Indian government for the bridge project includes components of aid and loans.” 

The project is a combination of causeways and bridges and will have a length of 6.695 kilometers. The project is expected to be the biggest infrastructure development project ever to be run in the Maldives.

The project will connect the islands of Male’ City, Villingili, and the industrial islands of Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu with three separate bridges. After the project is complete, all islands of the Greater Male’ Area will be inter-connected.

The project named “Greater Male’ Connectivity Project” will bring immense benefits to the Maldivian economy and different industries.