India on Saturday announced a $15 million grant for the promotion of Buddhist ties with its neighbour Sri Lanka. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the offer during a virtual summit with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Buddhism is practised by more than 70% of Sri Lanka’s population, while most of India’s people are Hindu. India´s External Affairs Ministry said the promotion will be through construction and renovation of Buddhist monasteries, capacity development, cultural exchanges, archaeological cooperation and reciprocal exposition of Gautam Buddha´s relics. India recently upgraded its airport in Kushinagar, an important Buddhist pilgrimage site in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, to receive international flights. India plans to fly a Buddhist delegation from Sri Lanka on the inaugural flight soon. His followers believe that Buddha attained a transcendent state after his death in Kushinagar.