Nitin A. Gokhale in his book "Sri Lanka - From War to Peace" reaveals that India played an important but covert role in the success of Sri Lanka against the LTTE. The book says Indian Navy provided vital intelligence in locating and destroying several LTTE rogue vessels laden with arms.

The book is the first detailed account of Sri Lanka's war against the LTTE. India's covert support to Sri Lanka in the war against the LTTE assumed many forms, ranging from back-channel talks and a tacit endorsement of Colombo's destroy-LTTE mission to supply of military hardware and sharing of real-time intelligence, says Nitin A. Gokhale in his book "Sri Lanka - From War to Peace".

New Delhi supported and helped Colombo in various ways despite its public hands-off posture and denial of offensive weapons to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) due to domestic political compulsions, says Gokhale.

The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in New Delhi was dependent upon the DMK  perceived to be sympathetic to the LTTE, for its survival in the parliament.

India always maintained that it would not give Sri Lanka any offensive weapons. Yet, in early 2006 India quietly gifted five Mi-17 helicopters to the Sri Lankan Air Force with the condition that these helicopters would fly under Sri Lankan Air Force colours, says Gokhale.