{"id":38862,"date":"2025-03-10T18:30:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=38862"},"modified":"2025-03-10T18:30:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:00:27","slug":"india-mauritius-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/10-03-2025\/india-mauritius-relations","title":{"rendered":"India-Mauritius Relations: Deepening Long-Standing Ties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/International Relation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>PM Narendra Modi\u2019s visit to Mauritius as the guest of honor at its Independence Day celebrations highlights the<strong> strategic depth of India-Mauritius relations<\/strong> amid global geopolitical uncertainties.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The visit reaffirms India\u2019s commitment to <strong>Mauritius\u2019 security, economic growth, and regional stability.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About India-Mauritius Partnership<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Historical and Cultural Connections:<\/strong> Mauritius is a <strong>former British and French colony <\/strong>that gained independence from British rule in 1968.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both countries share a historical connection dating back to the <strong>19th century<\/strong> when <strong>Indian indentured laborers<\/strong> were brought to the island under British rule.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mahatma Gandhi\u2019s visit to Mauritius (Oct 29 \u2013 Nov 15, 1901): Advocated education, political empowerment, and ties with India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Today, <strong>nearly 70% of Mauritius&#8217;s population<\/strong> traces its roots to India, and this <strong>cultural affinity<\/strong> has remained a<strong> cornerstone of bilateral relations.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Institutions like the <strong>Mahatma Gandhi Institute<\/strong> and the <strong>World Hindi Secretariat <\/strong>further nurture these cultural connections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s cultural influence is evident in Mauritius\u2019s language, cuisine, festivals, and traditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Republic of Mauritius<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2,000 kilometers off the southeastern coast of Africa.<br>&#8211; <strong>Capital: Port Louis<\/strong><br><br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"424\" height=\"247\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdjxmre0uMKU4rYuLhoe9INK_V_05MV8J7j5TpeNRLSr4keOOowaRpjXn-GT2mlevYm7fv1gUS6GfTwYBSkyJSrlww2eCM6sPUbtr6y1a2nIFDXDDAOv0smyx6hBNEdu9WBoOWh?key=Fv6PPa8Nu1DLucu5lds2rJuD\"><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Political and Diplomatic Engagement: <\/strong>Diplomatic relation was established in 1948.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mauritius has consistently supported<strong> India\u2019s position in international forums, <\/strong>including at the <strong>United Nations (UN) and the Commonwealth.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India, in return, has backed <strong>Mauritius\u2019s territorial claim over the Chagos Archipelago, <\/strong>a matter of dispute with the United Kingdom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic and Trade Relations:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Trade: <\/strong>It has grown in the last 18 years, from USD 206.76 million in 2005-06 to USD 851.13 million in 2023-24.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA):<\/strong> The <strong>first such agreement between India and an African nation<\/strong>, granting preferential market access.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foreign Direct Investment (FDI):<\/strong> Mauritius was the <strong>second largest source of FDI<\/strong> into India for<strong> FY 2023-24, after Singapore.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Since the signing of the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC), FDI inflows from Mauritius have dropped from USD 15.72 bn in 2016-17 to USD 6.13 bn in <strong>2022-23.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial Assistance: <\/strong>India has provided multiple lines of credit, including a $100 million defense credit line.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Special Economic Zones (SEZs):<\/strong> India is helping Mauritius develop infrastructure for economic growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Development Assistance:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Metro Express Project:<\/strong> Improving public transport in Mauritius.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Housing Project:<\/strong> Affordable housing for citizens.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Health Sector Support:<\/strong> Assistance in building hospitals and providing COVID-19 vaccine aid during the pandemic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strategic and Defense Cooperation: <\/strong>Mauritius holds strategic importance for India as a sentinel of the western Indian Ocean.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Maritime Surveillance:<\/strong> India assists Mauritius in patrolling its waters to counter piracy and illegal fishing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Infrastructure Development:<\/strong> India has contributed to the construction of a new naval dockyard in Mauritius.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has assisted in setting up radar networks to enhance maritime monitoring.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India is developing infrastructure on the<strong> Agalega Islands,<\/strong> improving air and naval connectivity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Defense Equipment Supply:<\/strong> India continues to supply defense equipment under favorable credit terms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Anti-Piracy Operations:<\/strong> Joint efforts to combat piracy and illicit activities in the region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vision SAGAR and Regional Growth: <\/strong>India&#8217;s Vision <strong>SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) <\/strong>emphasizes regional cooperation and maritime security.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mauritius, as a close maritime neighbor, plays a pivotal role in this vision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e6edf6\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"303\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Comprehensive-Economic-Cooperation-and-Partnership-Agreement.png\" alt=\"Comprehensive-Economic-Cooperation-and-Partnership-Agreement\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-38864\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e6edf6; width:443px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Comprehensive-Economic-Cooperation-and-Partnership-Agreement.png 795w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Comprehensive-Economic-Cooperation-and-Partnership-Agreement-300x114.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Comprehensive-Economic-Cooperation-and-Partnership-Agreement-768x293.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Emerging Areas of Cooperation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Digital Economy and FinTech:<\/strong> India is assisting Mauritius in developing digital payment systems modeled after <strong>India\u2019s UPI (Unified Payments Interface)<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cybersecurity cooperation is being strengthened to counter digital threats in the financial sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Renewable Energy and Climate Change:<\/strong> India is helping Mauritius transition to clean energy solutions, including solar and wind power projects.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mauritius is a member of the<strong> International Solar Alliance (ISA)<\/strong>, an initiative led by India to promote solar energy adoption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Space Cooperation:<\/strong> India has offered satellite technology and remote sensing capabilities to Mauritius for disaster management, weather forecasting, and maritime security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tax Treaty Amendments:<\/strong> India&#8217;s revision of the <strong>Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)<\/strong> with Mauritius has reduced its attractiveness as an FDI gateway.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Growing Chinese Influence:<\/strong> China is increasing its economic footprint in Mauritius, particularly through investments in infrastructure and trade, potentially challenging India\u2019s strategic leverage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Security Threats:<\/strong> Rising maritime piracy and illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean demand stronger maritime cooperation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Road Ahead: Future Prospects<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Expanding Trade Agreements:<\/strong> Strengthening CECPA by including more sectors like IT and healthcare services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Boosting Defense Ties:<\/strong> Increasing India&#8217;s role in Mauritius\u2019 defense modernization and joint military drills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthening Regional Cooperation:<\/strong> Mauritius can act as a bridge for India&#8217;s deeper engagement with Africa and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The India-Mauritius partnership is a model bilateral relationship, built on shared history, economic cooperation, and strategic alignment.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As India expands its Indo-Pacific strategy and Africa outreach, Mauritius remains a crucial partner in achieving regional stability and economic growth.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With increasing collaboration in trade, defense, digital economy, and climate change, this partnership is set to grow stronger in the years to come.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Examine the historical, cultural, and strategic factors that have shaped the enduring relationship between India and Mauritius. How can it further deepen long-standing ties and promote mutual growth and cooperation in the region?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/123261\/OPS\/GNPE2H4KC.1+G7IE3J7CB.1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-10-March-2025.pdf.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PM Narendra Modi\u2019s visit to Mauritius as the guest of honor at its Independence Day celebrations highlights the strategic depth of India-Mauritius relations amid global geopolitical uncertainties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38862"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38870,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38862\/revisions\/38870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}