On the day GMR surrendered the Male International Airport project to the Maldives government, India posted Captain RS Sunil of the Indian Navy as the first defence attaché to the island nation. Top government sources, however, maintained that New Delhi has no intention of getting embroiled either in commercial disputes or internal politics pertaining to Maldives. Instead, it will keep a close watch on Chinese and American manoeuvres in the island nation, besides fundamentalist forces that are trying to penetrate the local polity through the radical Adhaalath Party.

Official sources said that while India understands that the GMR airport is only a convenient tool being used in political infighting between Maldivian parties, it has no intention of allowing radical forces to take over the island nation.

This was communicated to Mohammed Waheed government by India during the SAARC ministerial meet in September.