In November 2024, Navin Ramgoolam, scion of the celebrated political family that led Mauritius to freedom from British rule, won a landslide victory in the country’s national elections and became prime minister (PM) of the country for the third time. Among his first decisions has been to invite PM Narendra Modi to be the chief guest for Mauritius’s National Day on March 12. Last year, under his predecessor and political rival Pravind Jugnauth, it was President Draupadi Murmu who was the chief guest. For PM Modi, it will be his second time as chief guest. India has navigated the complexities of Mauritius society well.
There is something remarkable about India’s relations with Mauritius. The simple facts are worthy of repetition to remind ourselves of two things. First, the depth of the close ties and second, the fact that both countries, and specially Mauritius, far from trying to downplay them, wear these links on their sleeves. The date fixed to celebrate the National Day, March 12, for example, has been chosen to pay tribute to the day Mahatma Gandhi began his Dandi March. About 70% of Mauritius’s population is of Indian origin, most of whom are Hindus. Mauritius boasts of India’s largest overseas culture centre and is the headquarters of the World Hindi Secretariat. There are many more links which date back in time and continue to thrive even today.
There are lessons here for many of India’s neighbours. Common heritage and bonds are assets to be celebrated and harnessed rather than millstones around their necks. India has for these reasons viewed Mauritius through a special lens, combining empathy, focus and a big heart.
{{/usCountry}}There are lessons here for many of India’s neighbours. Common heritage and bonds are assets to be celebrated and harnessed rather than millstones around their necks. India has for these reasons viewed Mauritius through a special lens, combining empathy, focus and a big heart.
{{/usCountry}}The existence of a political consensus within Mauritius on relations with India is manifested in the regularity and content of visits from Mauritius to India. Mauritian leaders have been at India’s side on almost all occasions of national importance, including for such special occasions as the swearing in ceremony of PM Modi in 2024, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations and as a guest country during India’s presidency of the G20, besides many others.
India played a highly supportive and behind the scene role last year in helping Mauritius regain sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago from the UK, marking the completion of its decolonisation process; Diego Garcia though still remains under long-term lease with the US. Last year too, India completed and inaugurated an ambitious project to upgrade the infrastructure at the Agalega Island. Over the years, India has invested men, material and resources to execute several small and large projects such as the gleaming Mauritius Metro and reinforce Mauritius’s capacity to defend itself.
India has also been quick to help when needed. During the Covid pandemic, Indian ships were berthing in Mauritius with critical medical supplies. They were similarly on site to fight the massive oil spill off its coast in 2020 and again to help during Cyclone Chido in 2024. Current PM Ramgoolam chose to fly to Delhi for emergency treatment for Covid in 2021.
Difficulties where they have arisen have been resolved through negotiations, again a lesson in a world that seems to have internalised war, hostility and hard talk as the norm, and weaponised dependencies. After years of negotiations, India and Mauritius finalised amendments to the key Double Taxation Avoidance Convention in 2016, further amended in 2024, to prevent round tripping and tax avoidance, and signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement in 2021, making it the first trade agreement signed by India with an African country. The result is that in 2023-2024, Mauritius was the second highest source of Foreign Direct Investment into India after Singapore, and Mauritius’s exports to India have been increasing year on year. Mauritius has decided to hitch itself to the Indian economy.
Undoubtedly Mauritius’s location in the Southwest Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa makes it a country of special significance. Not just for India but for all maritime powers. Port Louis is the headquarters of two of the largest Indian Ocean groupings — the Indian Ocean Commission and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, with both of whom India is closely associated. In 2015, India’s signature maritime policy, Security And Growth for All (SAGAR) was announced by PM Modi in Mauritius on his first visit there.
In the last 10 years, Mauritius has become a cornerstone of India’s Indian Ocean and maritime strategy that straddles security, economic and ecological dimensions. There is convergence of challenges faced from great power rivalry and non-traditional threats from piracy, trafficking, narcotics and IUU.
The bilateral relationship is today a full spectrum one. The partnership stands out as a safe haven, a bright spot and an example in a world that is sitting on the edge of an uncertain world. Strong India-Mauritius ties will add heft to India’s strategic positioning in the world.
India must nurture and shore up its natural equities with dogged pursuit and enlightened national self-interest. PM Modi’s visit to Port Louis is part of this enterprise and will reinforce the relationship with an old friend and neighbour.
Pankaj Saran is a former Indian ambassador to Russia and deputy national security advisor. The views expressed are personal