(The Indian Express has launched a new series of articles for UPSC aspirants written by seasoned writers and scholars on issues and concepts spanning History, Polity, International Relations, Art, Culture and Heritage, Environment, Geography, Science and Technology, and so on. Read and reflect with subject experts and boost your chance of cracking the much-coveted UPSC CSE. In the following article, K.M. Seethi, an expert on IR, analyses India’s vision for the Indian Ocean Region in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mauritius.) India’s emerging strategic posture in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has become central to its foreign policy, particularly in light of growing geopolitical rivalries and maritime security concerns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mauritius on March 11-12 highlights the significance of this island nation in India’s IOR strategy. It is evident in upgrading the India-Mauritus ties to “Enhanced Strategic Partnership”, covering political, developmental, economic, and defence domains. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi also announced India’s new MAHASAGAR policy, just as he had unveiled the SAGAR policy during his first visit to the island nation 10 years ago. The doctrine of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) was India’s vision of a peaceful and cooperative Indian Ocean, one where regional partnerships are built on trust, capacity-building, and shared prosperity. The doctrine of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) builds on SAGAR and indicates a broadened scope of India’s maritime engagement. This perceptibly includes not only the immediate neighbourhood but also extends to the broader Indo-Pacific space and connects with India’s strategic collaboration with QUAD members—the United States, Japan, and Australia. India's defence and maritime cooperation with Mauritius, which has evolved into a strong pillar of bilateral relations, offers an example of how New Delhi’s expanded maritime vision translates into tangible partnerships. It reflects India’s commitment to strengthening its presence in the IOR, which is becoming an increasingly critical theatre of 21st-century geopolitics. IOR as a strategic theatre The Indian Ocean has emerged as a major theatre of 21st-century geopolitics, hosting vital sea lanes that facilitate over 80% of global trade by volume and serve as routes for energy transportation. The region’s growing importance comes not only from its commercial utility but also from intensifying strategic competition — especially between India and China, the two principal Asian powers seeking to expand their footprint. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with its expansive infrastructure investments across the IOR, characterises Beijing’s strategic ambition. The China-Mauritius Free Trade Agreement (2021), and bilateral trade reaching $1.1 billion, indicate China’s economic influence in the region. China’s military presence, including the increasing deployment of the People's Liberation Army Navy, has added a hard-power dimension to its engagements. India views this through the lens of “String of Pearls” - a Chinese strategy involving a network of ports and facilities around the IOR. India’s counter-strategy is often described as the “Necklace of Diamonds”, involving strategic partnerships with regional littorals, investments in port infrastructure, and presence through naval diplomacy. The India-Mauritius relationship is a key link in this strategy, offering New Delhi both a political leverage and a logistical point in the Western Indian Ocean — allowing it to project influence and monitor regional maritime activity. India’s evolving maritime doctrine This broader strategy aligns with India’s evolving maritime doctrine, as articulated by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in his book, The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World. He framed India’s maritime outlook through the lens of SAGAR and a “comprehensive maritime strategy” depicted in “concentric circles”. The core, Jaishankar notes, focuses on India’s homeland security and maritime infrastructure; the second ring includes island partners like Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka; the third aspires to revive the Indian Ocean as a community built on historical ties; and the outermost circle links India to the Pacific. This vision is now clearly guiding India’s deepening relations with Mauritius — a partner that lies at the heart of India’s western maritime frontier. India’s defence and maritime cooperation with Mauritius has matured into a strong pillar of bilateral relations. Mauritius benefits from India’s provisioning of maritime assets, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance, hydrographic surveys, joint exercises, and coast guard ship refits. Plans are also underway to establish a National Maritime Information Sharing Centre, furthering maritime domain awareness. Furthermore, India’s role in port safety, marine operations, and training of the Mauritius Police Force continues to expand. Strategic presence in IOR Importantly, India’s strategic presence in the IOR complements its growing coordination with QUAD members. While India maintains its autonomy in foreign policy, it lines up with QUAD principles of ensuring freedom of navigation, rule of law, and a free, open Indo-Pacific. Mauritius features prominently in this network of cooperation. India’s support for the continuation of the Diego Garcia base, while endorsing the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago, demonstrates a nuanced balancing between normative positions on decolonisation and pragmatic security interests. The announcement of the MAHASAGAR doctrine during Modi’s 2025 visit further expands India’s maritime vision. It signals a shift from regional maritime responsibility to global strategic anchoring, reinforcing India’s intent to act as a stabilising force in an uncertain international order — especially as the US foreign policy fluctuates, China asserts influence, and multilateralism faces strain. Additionally, India’s strategic vision is also aligned with its broader economic objectives, which include enhancing trade and development partnerships across the Global South. This is also reflected in the deepening economic ties between India and Mauritius. India-Mauritius evolving economic cooperation Bilateral trade between India and Mauritius increased from USD 206.76 million in 2005–06 to USD 851.13 million in 2023–24, with Indian exports valued at USD 778.03 million and Mauritian exports at USD 73.10 million in the latest fiscal year. India’s main exports include pharmaceuticals, cereals, cotton, prawns, and meat, while Mauritius exports vanilla, medical devices, aluminium alloys, and refined copper. Mauritius has also been a major source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India — USD 175 billion since 2000, accounting for roughly 25% of total FDI inflows. Although post-2016 Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) reforms led to a decline (from USD 15.72 billion in 2016–17 to USD 6.13 billion in 2022–23), FDI rebounded to USD 7.97 billion in 2023–24, making Mauritius India’s second-largest FDI source, with USD 3.21 billion in Q1 of 2024–25. A milestone in economic cooperation was the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on February 22, 2021, effective from April 1, 2021—India’s first trade agreement with any African country. CECPA provides preferential access to 310 Indian export items and 615 Mauritian products, including specialty sugar, juices, alcoholic beverages, and medical devices. India and Mauritius also agreed to settle trade in local currencies (INR-MUR) and were finalising amendments to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) to meet global standards. During the 2025 visit, India announced several major initiatives: a ₹487 crore credit line for water infrastructure, commitment to build a new Parliament building, and continued engagement through High Impact Community Development Projects. India also committed to deliver 100 electric buses, supported digital transformation efforts, and extended technical cooperation through the deputation of experts under the ITEC programme. Further, 500 Mauritian civil servants will be trained in India over the next five years under a tailored capacity-building initiative. The Agalega Islands, where India has developed a runway and jetty, are strategically important. While Mauritius maintains these are civilian facilities, they enhance India’s maritime domain awareness and logistical reach across the Western Indian Ocean. India’s humanitarian response to Cyclone Chido, facilitated through Agalega, reaffirmed its role as a “first responder” in regional crises. Historical and cultural ties Beyond strategic cooperation, India shares a deep and long-standing relationship with Mauritius rooted in historical, demographic, and cultural ties. A key aspect of this connection is the significant presence of people of Indian origin, who make up nearly 70% of Mauritius’s 1.2 million population. Indian migration began under French rule in 1729, followed by the arrival of over half a million Indian indentured labourers during British rule (1834–early 1900s). The first batch arrived on November 2, 1834, now marked as Aapravasi Diwas. Mahatma Gandhi’s visit in 1901 further inspired the Indian community through his emphasis on education, political empowerment, and ties with India. Mauritius celebrates its National Day on March 12 in his honour. Prime Minister Modi’s visit coincided with the National Day celebrations, where he was honoured as Chief Guest and conferred the highest national civilian award, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties. Mauritius, though not geographically proximate, remains deeply connected to India not only through the significant presence of the people of Indian origin but also through a shared colonial and post-colonial history. India has traditionally been Mauritius’s foremost development partner since its independence in 1968. Over the years, India has supported critical infrastructure projects, including the Metro Express, ENT Hospital, New Supreme Court Building, Social Housing Units, and Educational Tablets project. However, India’s expanding engagement with Mauritius is no longer just a reflection of shared heritage or diaspora ties. It is a well-thought-out comprehensive strategy aimed at strengthening India’s role as a resident maritime power, balancing China’s expanding reach, and consolidating partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. As articulated by Jaishankar, it is the interplay of concentric circles — starting from India’s coastlines to the wider Pacific — that will shape its future maritime posture. In short, India-Mauritius relations represent a strategic convergence — where diplomacy, development, defence, and economic engagement converge to secure India’s long-term interests in the Indian Ocean and beyond. Post Read Questions Discuss the role of Mauritius in India's broader strategy for the Indian Ocean Region. What are the potential benefits of the enhanced strategic partnership between India and Mauritius for both nations in the coming years? How does the MAHASAGAR doctrine reflect India's evolving maritime vision in the Indian Ocean Region? How does India's relationship with Mauritius serve as a counterbalance to China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean Region? (K.M. Seethi is the Director of Inter University Centre for Social Science Research and Extension (IUCSSRE), Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU), Kerala, and former Senior Professor of International Relations at the same university.) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Share your thoughts and ideas on UPSC Special articles with ashiya.parveen@indianexpress.com.
