INDIA MAURITIUS RELATIONS

During the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Mauritius, multiple agreements were signed on:

• Trade
• Maritime Security
• Defense
• Both nations elevated ties to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
• PM of India received Mauritius’ highest national award: Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.

Key Outcomes of India’s PM Visit to Mauritius

• Enhanced Strategic Partnership
  • Strengthened security, local currency trade, and development.
  • Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) protocol ratified to align with international standards.
• ‘Mahasagar’ Vision
  • Introduced MAHASAGAR: Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
  • Builds on SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region):
    • Technology sharing, concessional loans, grants, trade, and security cooperation.
• Security Cooperation
  • Agalega Island: Enhanced use of the new runway and jetty (developed by India).
  • Support for Mauritius’s sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.
  • Cooperation in:
    • White shipping
    • Blue economy
    • Hydrography
• Developmental Support
  • First-ever rupee-denominated Line of Credit for water pipeline replacement.
  • Establishment of:
    • Police academy
    • Maritime information-sharing center
  • Mauritius President inaugurated:
    • Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation
    • Health center & 20 Indian-funded community projects
• New Parliament Building
  • India to construct Mauritius’s new Parliament—termed as a gift from the “Mother of Democracy.”
• Multilateral Engagements
  • Cooperation in:
    • Colombo Security Conclave
    • Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
    • Indian Ocean Conference

Historical Connection Between India and Mauritius

• Pre-Independence:
  • First Indians (1700s) arrived under French rule as artisans from Puducherry.
  • British rule (1834–early 1900s): 500,000 Indian indentured workers migrated; 2/3 settled in Mauritius.
  • Mahatma Gandhi visited Mauritius in 1901, advocating for education and political empowerment.
  • Mauritius National Day (12 March): Celebrates the Dandi March in tribute to Gandhi.
• Post-Independence:
  • Diplomatic ties established in 1948, two decades before Mauritius gained independence (1968).
  • Mauritius’ first PM, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, closely linked with Indian leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, and Bose.

Importance of Mauritius for India:

• Maritime Significance:
  • Strategic location in the Indian Ocean (key for SAGAR/MAHASAGAR initiative).
• Countering China’s Presence:
  • Strengthens maritime security amid China’s growing influence.
• Economic Relations:
  • Gateway for India’s trade and investments in Africa.
  • Mauritius: 2nd-largest FDI source into India (FY 2023-24) after Singapore.
• Cultural Links:
  • 70% of Mauritius population of Indian origin.
  • Grand Maha Shivratri celebrations and Ganga Talao pilgrimage site.
  • Importance of India for Mauritius:

• Leading Development Partner:
  • Provided USD 1.1 billion in aid over the last decade.
  • Supported infrastructure: Metro Express, Supreme Court Building, hospitals.
• Maritime Security Assistance:
  • Key partner in EEZ protection, naval patrols, and maritime surveillance.
• Disaster Assistance:
  • First responder during:
    • Cyclone Chido (2024)
    • Wakashio Oil Spill (2020)
    • COVID-19 pandemic
• Capacity Building:
  • Beneficiary of ITEC program: 4,940 Mauritians trained since 2002.
  • Customized training for civil servants via National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG).