India vows $680-mn aid, maritime security boost for Mauritius

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday underscored that a free, open, secure and stable Indian Ocean remained a “shared priority” for India and Mauritius, as he unveiled a $680 million package of development and strategic initiatives alongside his Mauritian counterpart Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

Welcoming Dr Ramgoolam in Varanasi, Modi invoked the centuries-old cultural connect between the two nations, likening Mauritius’ deep-rooted Indian heritage to the “eternal flow of the Ganga.” He described ties with Port Louis as not just a partnership but “a family bond.”

At the heart of the package are big-ticket projects in health, infrastructure and energy, funded through both direct grants ($215 million) and a grant-cum-line of credit ($440 million). These include a 500-bed Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital, an AYUSH Centre of Excellence, a veterinary school and animal hospital, and the country’s first Jan Aushadhi Kendra to improve access to affordable medicines. 

India will also support road expansion, completion of a new ATC tower at SSR International Airport, development of Ring Road Phase-II, and modernisation of Mauritius’ port facilities.

Calling the package “an investment in our shared future, not assistance,” Modi said cooperation would also extend to clean energy, with 100 electric buses and a 17.5 MW floating solar power plant at Tamarind Falls to be funded under the plan. On the fiscal side, India will extend $25 million as budgetary support for Port Louis during the current financial year.

On the strategic front, Modi pledged New Delhi’s continued role as a “first responder and net security provider” in the Indian Ocean. The two sides signed a fresh hydrographic cooperation agreement covering joint surveys, navigation charts and data sharing over the next five years. 

India will also help strengthen Mauritius’ Exclusive Economic Zone, including the refitting of Coast Guard assets and training of 120 Mauritian officers. Both leaders agreed in principle on redevelopment of Mauritius’ port and cooperation in the Chagos Marine Protected Area.

Reaffirming India’s backing for Port Louis’ sovereignty, Modi hailed the conclusion of the Chagos Agreement as a “historic milestone” in the decolonisation process, stressing that India had “always stood firmly with Mauritius on this journey.”

“India and Mauritius are two nations, but our dreams and destiny are one,” Modi declared, paying tribute to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the father of the Mauritian Nation, whose 125th birth anniversary is being marked this year.

The Varanasi talks further cemented the “Enhanced Strategic Partnership” announced earlier this year, consolidating New Delhi’s position as Mauritius’ primary development partner and reaffirming their shared vision for peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean.