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The Indian Ocean has geopolitical significance for the nation, Mauritius, India, which cannot be overseas in the world of coalition and growing dangers in today’s world
PM Narendra Modi, along with his Mauritius counterpart Naveen Ramgulam, pays homage at Sir Sewsagur Ramgulam Botanical Garden in Mauritius on March 11. (Image: PTI through PMO)
Mauritius is celebrating its national day on Wednesday, a island nation in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, and away from the south -bound coast of Africa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chief guest and has already landed in the country.
Modi’s celebrity situation in Mauritius is unique as 70 percent of the population attracts its roots and heritage from India. Not only this, diplomatic relations between the two countries have been strengthened only in the last 77 years.
He established diplomatic relations 20 years before Mauritius gained independence from the United Kingdom. With the same colonial history, there is a shared trauma and understanding that has created a strong base for constantly growing relationships.
The island nation is of geopolitical importance to India, which cannot be abolished in the world of coalition and growing threats in today’s world.
A bond in shared struggle
The relations between India and Mauritius are behind for centuries, which lies in the painful legacy of colonialism. Under the French and later British rule, Indian indentured laborers were brought to Mauritius so that many permanent settlements could be worked on Chinese plantation.
Today, about 70 percent of the 1.2 million population of the island is of Indian origin, in which the community detects Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and beyond. The fact is that the country chose March 12 – marking Mahatma Gandhi’s Dundi March – because its National Day is a powerful symbol of this shared heritage. It is a reminder that history is not only a past, but the foundation on which it is partnership.
Shared colonial trauma – British exploitation, forced migration, and struggle for freedom – has created a mutual understanding that is beyond rhetoric. The first Prime Minister of Mauritius, Sir Sewosagur Ramgulam worked with Indian freedom fighters like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, even proofing his book The Indian Struggle. His son, Naveen Ramgulam, now as PM in his third term, continues this legacy by inviting Modi as the chief guest for National Day – this is a sign of belief.
India has cleverly navigated the country’s complex political scenario, which is in power, maintaining a strong relationship. This is rare in today’s world, where alliances can shift overnight.
Trade and economic relations
India is one of the largest trading partners in Mauritius, and the number speaks for itself. In FY 2023–2024, India’s exports to Mauritius reached $ 778.03 million, while Mauritian exports were $ 73.10 million in India, with total trade $ 851.13 million.
In addition, Mauritius is the second largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in India after Singapore, thanks to a favorable double taxation family agreement (DTAA) that has made it a center for financial flow.
The Cast Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) signed in February 2021 was a game-changer for business relations. This was India’s first such deal with an African nation, and is paying dividends.
Mauritius, with its bilingual population (English and French) and well -developed financial sector, is an entrance to Africa, especially Frankophone Africa. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cannot leave India behind, with making inroads in Africa. Mauritius Bridge India is needed.
But Mauritius does not just want to be an entrance, it has its own needs and ambitions. Naveen Ramgulam wants to reduce his country’s debt-to-GDP ratio by 83 percent, and India is an important partner in this effort.
India’s support – on the lines of credit, grant and investment – Mauritius is helping to diversify its economy, from sports to healthcare. For India, it is strategic because a strong Mauritius means a strong partner for India in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). And as China’s economic domination increases, India needs to double this relationship.
Defense and maritime security
Since 2008, Chinese warships have patrolled the IOR and, since 2017, China has maintained a naval base in Djibouti. To say that this area is turning into a complex battleground, there will be no understanding.
Mauritius, with its strategic location and a huge exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 2.3 million sq km, is important for India’s maritime security. This can be similar to a guards that India cannot risk losing.
India’s investment in Mauritius’s maritime infrastructure is partly a direct reaction to China’s expansionary economic aggression in Africa and even in Mauritius, with anti -India protests, possibly filled with fuel by Beijing in 2020.
Located 1,100 km north of Mauritius, the next is close to the southern coast of India and sits at the intersection of major sea routes. It is a frontline property in the fight against piracy, drug smuggling and illegal fishing – all dangers increase China’s presence.
When India, therefore, helped upgrade the airstrip and jetty on the next – inaugurated in February 2024 – it created a complete understanding. These facilities allow India to station large aircraft such as P -8i, which are first located in the French Reunon Island, and increase maritime surveillance.
In addition, the technical agreement on sharing the expected white-showing information during Modi’s visit is a step in the right direction, but is it enough? India needs to increase joint patrolling, capacity building and intelligence sharing. China is not waiting for us to do tricks.
Infrastructure and Development: Building Trust, Influence
India’s development aid for Mauritius is nothing short of wavering. In the last decade, it has pumped around $ 1.1 billion to the island nation, with $ 729 million in credit lines and $ 427 million in grants.
Projects like Metro Express, Civil Service College and Area Health Center are changing the landscape of Mauritius. These are not only bricks and mortars, buildings have been developed, for development. They symbolize India’s commitment to the progress of Mauritius.
And in an area where China’s infrastructure projects often come up with strings attached, India’s approach is a breath of fresh air. In addition, 51 of the 96 agreements signed in 2022 for small, people-oriented projects have already been inaugurated. In addition, India has trained around 5,000 Mauritis under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program since 2002-2003. We can build it capacity, or increase our soft power, but it works.
Scholarship, cultural exchange and joint research initiatives have deepened the relationship. Around 2,316 Indian students are currently pursuing higher education in Mauritius, studying fields such as medical, hotel management and business studies. About 300 to 400 students come to India in search of higher education.
Chinese red flag
China is the biggest threat to India’s influence in IOR, and Mauritius is ‘Ground Zero’. And then there are Maldives, where India’s influence killed the rock bottom, when the government signed a military aid agreement with Beijing and asked to leave Indian forces. Although some issues have been resolved, we are still far away from where we were in early 2023, making Mauritius even more important to India’s IOR strategy.
China’s playbook is clear: economic coercion, infrastructure projects and strategic partnership. Mauritius, with its strategic location and economic capacity, has a major goal. The anti -India opposition in 2020, possibly supported by Beijing, is a clear reminder of China’s strategy.
India needs to compete with this story, and fast. Nextga projects are a beginning, but India needs to go ahead. Increased joint naval exercises, intelligence sharing and economic incentives look like the best bets.
For India, it is much larger than Mauritius. This is about the IOR’s security and the ability to fail China in its own backyard. India’s ocean (security and increase in region) declared in Mauritius in 2015 needs to be put into overdrive. We cannot be another Maldives on our hands. Mauritius is the cornerstone of this strategy, and India needs to double.
Faith and endurance
This partnership is important for India’s ambitions in IOR. Business, defense, infrastructure, maritime security – every column matters. Historical bond is a strategic property, plain and simple. It gives India a natural ally in the IO, an area where the effect is fiercely contested.
Mauritius, as a partner, understands India’s concerns, with people’s connections to deep people. And with the rounds of China, this trust is worth its weight in gold. The question is not whether history matters, how can India take advantage of it to secure its future.
