India's budget has included four times the amount of financial aid currently being received by Maldives from the Indian government.

An interim budget was proposed at Indian Parliament by the Acting Minister of Finance, Piyush Goyal. The budget set for years encompassing 2019 and 2020 included approximately four times the current amount of aid granted to Maldives by India.

As such, Maldives is set to receive Rs 5.75 billion (or MVR 1.23 billion) for the 2019-2020 period. This new amount is 460 per cent higher than the amount that was allocated as aid for Maldives during the interim budget of 2018-2019 period. The interim amount allocated in the budget for aid to Maldives during the period of 2018-2019 was Rs 1.25 billion.

The proposed interim budget had allocated USD 4.8 billion as aid to other countries. The highest amount of aid for a foreign country is set to be received by Bhutan with USD 1.6 billion.

While the interim budget has included a greater amount of aid to be afforded to Maldives, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had requested for further assistance from India last year. During the official visit to India, President Solih and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi had released a joint press statement. PM Narendra Modi had also announced the opening of a line of credit for Maldives, worth USD 1.4 billion.