Why in the news?
- Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to visit Mauritius from March 11-12, 2025, as a chief guest at the country’s national day celebrations.
- Amid this visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reaffirmed India’s support for Mauritius’ claims over the Chagos Archipelago, emphasizing India’s commitment to decolonization. Here, we have discussed in detail India-Mauritius relations, the history of bilateral relations, the significance of Bilateral Relations, and the concerns between India and Mauritius.
History of Bilateral Relations
The relationship between history since the early 1730s, when artisans were brought from Puducherry and the Madras Presidency.
Though diplomatic relations were established in 1948. Mauritius is in touch with India through successive Dutch, French and British occupation. Since the 1820s, Indian workers started going to Mauritius to work on sugar plantations.
Later, after the abolishment of slavery in 1834, large numbers of Indian workers began to be brought into Mauritius as indentured laborers. On 2 November 1834, the ‘Atlas’ named ship docked in Mauritius, which carried the first batch of Indian indentured laborers. This day is now observed as ‘Aapravasi Day in Mauritius’.
A turning point came in the year of 1983, when India came to the point of military intervention in Mauritius. Under Operation Lal Dora, India ensured that it stayed in India’s strategic orbit. Later in 2015, India signed an agreement to set up eight Indian-controlled coastal surveillance radar stations.
Significance of Bilateral Relations.
Historical and Cultural Ties: More than 68% of Mauritians have Indian origin, which forms a very strong cultural and sentimental bond. Shared festivals, customs, and languages instill feelings of brotherhood between the two nations.
Strategic Importance: Mauritius has a strategic location in the Indian Ocean, making it an indispensable partner of India’s maritime strategy. It has an immense role to play in the SAGAR policy for maintaining maritime security and stability in the region.
Economic and Trade Relations: Mauritius acts as an important gateway for Indian investments in Africa. It is reported that by 2020, over $20 billion of Indian investments had reached Africa through Mauritius, due to the conducive tax regime there. Bilateral trade between India and Mauritius touched $375 million in 2020-2021, with enormous scope for increasing this volume, especially in areas like agriculture, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and services.
Development Cooperation: India has been a stakeholder in the Mauritian infrastructure development projects that act as a support of the country’s development agenda. This also encompasses assistance in the health and education sectors. For example, a Line of Credit of $100 million was given to Mauritius for the Metro Express Project and $500 million for other infrastructure development projects.
Political Alliances: Both countries have the common values of democracy and also support each other in international forums. For example, India’s support in the International Court of Justice over the dispute on the Chagos Archipelago’s sovereignty.
Defense and Security Cooperation: India is helping capacity-building of the security forces of Mauritius by supplying military equipment, training, and joint exercises. In 2021, India gifted the Mauritian Coast Guard a Dornier aircraft as well as a patrol vessel to strengthen maritime security.
Tourism: Tourism strengthens people-to-people ties, and Mauritius has always been an increasingly important destination for Indian tourists. In 2019, around 90,000 Indian tourists visited Mauritius, showcasing strong cultural and emotional links.
Renewable Energy Collaboration: Both nations are cooperating in renewable energy, where India is providing Mauritius with solar energy projects within the framework of ISA. Mauritius is also looking to augment its renewable energy capacity, where Indian technology and investments are playing an important role.
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Areas of Concern between India and Mauritius Relations
Despite India and Mauritius’s robust bilateral relationship, several areas of concern still require continued attention and strategic dialogue. These include the following:
Maritime Security
The Indian Ocean has always been a target of piracy, trafficking, and illegal fishing. For instance, the piracy cases in the region reached 60 incidents in 2022, a potential threat to maritime security. Continuous joint naval exercises and capacity-building exercises will ensure stability across the region. Both nations support initiatives like the IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) to realize security.
Economic Dependence
Investment and financial aid from India support the economy of Mauritius. For example, in 2022, India continued to be the biggest contributor of FDI to Mauritius, contributing over $20 billion. Therefore, breaking this dependency will ensure the realization by facilitating and diversifying economic engagements that increase bilateral trade and promote local industries here in Mauritius toward a self-sustaining economy.
Political Stability
Political changes may affect bilateral relations. The general elections of Mauritius in 2019 have changed the political scene, hence calling for an adaptive diplomatic strategy to foster strong ties. Revamping bilateral agreements and cooperation frameworks for stable and effective relations amid the wave of politics is fundamental.
Environmental Issues
Concerns like sea level rise and extreme weather events are haunting both sides. For instance, the MV Wakashio oil spill caused severe damage to the economy in Mauritius, hence stressing the need for cooperative disaster management. Joint initiatives for environmental conservation and sustainable development need greater attention. Also, more commitments to renewable energy projects and marine conservation between both are the need of the hour.
Barriers to Trade
Resolving trade disputes and removing barriers can further bilateral trade. Indeed, two-way trade had reached $1.2 billion in 2022, but issues like tariffs and non-tariff barriers had offset the growth. Continuous talks for FTAs from both parties as a way to further open up an atmosphere more conducive to trade.
Conclusion
The India-Mauritius relations emerged as a role model of development partnerships highlighting a shared history, strategic interests, and cultural ties. The recent visit of S. Jaishankar epitomizes this multi-dimensional partnership and reaffirms India’s commitment toward progress in Mauritius. Continued bilateral collaboration in the economic, strategic, and cultural domains, will strengthen the exemplary relationship between both nations. Consequently it will promote mutual growth with stability in the region.