{"id":77990,"date":"2026-06-29T18:19:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T12:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=77990"},"modified":"2026-06-29T18:20:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T12:50:32","slug":"india-mauritius-strategic-ties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/29-06-2026\/india-mauritius-strategic-ties","title":{"rendered":"India and Mauritius: Boost To Strategic Ties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/International Relations<\/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>Recently, the Prime Minister of India met with <strong>Mauritian counterpart in Victoria, Mahe<\/strong> on the sidelines of <strong>Seychelles\u2019 Golden Jubilee National Day<\/strong> celebrations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in maritime security, development partnership, capacity building, trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2013Mauritius Relations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India and Mauritius share an exceptionally close relationship based on:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shared history and civilizational links;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Indian diaspora connection;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maritime and strategic convergence in the Indian Ocean;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Development partnership;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Common democratic values;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mauritius occupies a central position in India&#8217;s vision of <strong>Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)<\/strong> and the <strong>Neighbourhood First Policy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Historical Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mauritius was uninhabited until European colonisation. A large number of Indians migrated as <strong>indentured labourers<\/strong> after the abolition of slavery in 1834.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Today, around <strong>two-thirds of Mauritius&#8217; population is of Indian origin<\/strong>, making the diaspora a major pillar of bilateral relations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diplomatic relations were established immediately after <strong>Mauritius attained independence in 1968.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Republic of Mauritius<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2,000 kilometers off the southeastern coast of Africa.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Capital: Port Louis<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"c5d0d8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"974\" height=\"547\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-231.png\" alt=\"republic of mauritius\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-77991\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c5d0d8; aspect-ratio:1.780626365622724;width:411px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-231.png 974w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-231-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-231-768x431.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 974px) 100vw, 974px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Pillars of India\u2013Mauritius Relations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Political Relations: <\/strong>India and Mauritius maintain regular high-level political exchanges.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently<strong>,<\/strong> both sides reiterated commitment towards expanding development partnership, enhancing maritime cooperation, strengthening regional stability in the Indian Ocean, and deepening economic engagement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strategic and Maritime Cooperation:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Maritime Security: <\/strong>Joint surveillance of Mauritian EEZ; hydrographic surveys by the Indian Navy; coastal radar systems; and information sharing on maritime domain awareness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Defence Cooperation: <\/strong>India assists Mauritius through training of Mauritian defence personnel, supply of defence equipment, deployment of Indian military advisors, joint exercises and patrols.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SAGAR Doctrine: <\/strong>Mauritius is a cornerstone of India&#8217;s <strong>SAGAR Vision, Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), and Vision MAHASAGAR.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic and Commercial Relations<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bilateral Trade (FY 2024-25):<\/strong> USD 887.25 mn (Total trade)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Indian Exports to Mauritius: USD 676.34 mn<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mauritian Exports to India: USD 210.91 mn<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trade has grown by 329% in the last 17 years, from USD 206.76 million in 2005-06 to USD 887.25 million in 2024-25.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Main Indian Exports: <\/strong>Petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, food products, machinery, textiles, and automobiles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mauritian Exports: <\/strong>Scrap metals, agricultural products, textiles, and seafood products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA): It was <\/strong>signed in <strong>2021<\/strong>. It is<strong> India&#8217;s first trade agreement with an African country.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It aims to liberalise trade in goods and services, promotion of investment, expansion of financial services, and greater market access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial and Investment Relations: <\/strong>Historically, Mauritius has been a major source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key reasons <\/strong>are favourable tax regime; and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>DTAA Revision (2016)<\/strong> was aimed at <strong>treaty shopping<\/strong>, round-tripping of funds, and tax evasion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Do You Know About Treaty Shopping<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It typically involves the <strong>attempt to indirectly access the benefits of a tax treaty<\/strong> between two jurisdictions by a person who is not a resident of one of those jurisdictions, often through complex structures and arrangements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Development Partnership:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Metro Express Project: <\/strong>India&#8217;s flagship infrastructure project in Mauritius. It significantly improved urban mobility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New Supreme Court Building: <\/strong>It was constructed with Indian grant assistance. It symbolises democratic cooperation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ENT Hospital: <\/strong>It was built with Indian support. It enhances healthcare infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Housing Projects: <\/strong>Several small-scale projects have been implemented across Mauritius in sectors such as education, health, community infrastructure, and sports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Other Important Projects: <\/strong>Civil Service College; Forensic Science Laboratory; Digital and ICT initiatives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cultural and Diaspora Relations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Diaspora: <\/strong>Indian origin people comprise nearly 70% of the island\u2019s population of 1.2 million (28% Creole, 3% Sino-Mauritian, 1% Franco-Mauritian).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shared Cultural Traditions: <\/strong>Hindi, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Urdu are widely practised.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Indian festivals such as Diwali, Holi, and Maha Shivaratri are celebrated on a national scale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Institutions: <\/strong>Mahatma Gandhi Institute; Rabindranath Tagore Institute; and World Hindi Secretariat (headquartered in Mauritius).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Capacity Building and Human Resource Development: <\/strong>India supports Mauritius through ITEC scholarships, ICCR scholarships, training programmes for civil servants, skill development initiatives, and cooperation in digital governance and public administration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cooperation in Multilateral Forums: <\/strong>Both countries cooperate closely in United Nations (UN), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and Global South initiatives.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mauritius has consistently supported India on several international issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India 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<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of Mauritius for India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strategic Importance: <\/strong>Gateway to the western Indian Ocean; critical for securing Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs); and important for India&#8217;s Indo-Pacific strategy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Importance: <\/strong>Trade and investment hub; and link to African markets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geopolitical Importance: <\/strong>Helps counter extra-regional influence in the Indian Ocean; and enhances India&#8217;s role as a net security provider.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Bilateral Relations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Competition from external powers<\/strong>, especially China.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Concerns regarding strategic projects and sovereignty issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Need for diversification of trade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regulatory issues in financial cooperation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Climate change vulnerabilities affecting Mauritius.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is a need to deepen maritime and defence cooperation, expand CECPA implementation, promote blue economy collaboration, enhance digital and fintech partnerships, strengthen renewable energy cooperation, increase people-to-people and educational exchanges, and accelerate implementation of infrastructure projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ddindia.co.in\/2026\/06\/pm-modi-meets-mauritian-counterpart-ramgoolam-reviews-enhanced-strategic-partnership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: DD News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Recently, the Prime Minister of India met with Mauritian counterpart in Victoria, Mahe on the sidelines of Seychelles\u2019 Golden Jubilee National Day celebrations. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> India\u2013Mauritius Relations <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> India and Mauritius share an exceptionally close relationship based on: <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Shared history and civilizational links; <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/29-06-2026\/india-mauritius-strategic-ties \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/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":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77990","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=77990"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77994,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77990\/revisions\/77994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}