INDIA, MAURITIUS AND A VISIT TO DEEPEN LONG-STANDING TIES

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit (March 11–12, 2025) to Mauritius as Chief Guest for its 57th National Day underscores the deep-rooted historical, cultural, and strategic ties between India and Mauritius. This visit aimed to reinforce bilateral cooperation across defense, trade, infrastructure, and maritime security, while countering China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

1. Colonial Legacy & Diaspora

• • 70% of Mauritius’ 1.2 million population traces its origins to Indian indentured laborers brought during French (18th century) and British rule (1834–1900s).
  • Cultural Synergy: Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi communities preserve Indian traditions, supported by institutions like the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (1976).

 

2. Gandhi’s Influence

• • Mahatma Gandhi’s 1901 stopover inspired Mauritius’ National Day (March 12) to coincide with the Dandi Salt March, emphasizing education, political empowerment, and India-Mauritius connectivity.

 

3. Post-Independence Ties

• • Diplomatic relations established in 1948. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (first PM) collaborated with Indian leaders like Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose.
  • Netaji Connection: Ramgoolam proofread Bose’s The Indian Struggle (1934), symbolizing early intellectual collaboration.

STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF MAURITIUS

1. Geopolitical Anchor

• • Gateway to Africa: Mauritius’ bilingual (English/French) populace and AU membership make it a hub for Indian trade/investment in Francophone Africa.
  • Maritime Security: Controls 2.3 million sq km EEZ; joint surveillance via Agaléga Island enhances IOR security against piracy and trafficking.

 

2. Countering China

• • Agaléga Infrastructure: India’s ₹3,000 cr project (air strip, jetty) bolsters Mauritius’ defense capabilities, amid concerns over China’s “String of Pearls” strategy.
  • Colombo Security Conclave: Joint maritime initiatives with Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bangladesh to ensure IOR stability.

KEY AREAS OF COOPERATION

Area	Initiatives & Outcomes
Defense & Security	– White-Shipping Agreement: Real-time naval data-sharing. – Coastal Radar Chain: Enhanced EEZ surveillance.
Economic Ties	– CECPA (2021): First India-Africa FTA; $554 mn bilateral trade (2022–23). – FDI Hub: 2nd largest FDI source for India ($13 bn in FY24).
Infrastructure	– Metro Express: ₹5,500 cr urban transport project. – Agaléga Development: Air/sea connectivity for 300 residents.
Space & Tech	– Joint Satellite: ISRO-MRIC collaboration (2023). – ITEC Program: 4,940 Mauritian professionals trained.
Disaster Response	First responder during Cyclone Chido (2024), COVID-19, and Wakashio oil spill (2020).

THE CHALLENGES:

Challenges in India-Mauritius Relations: A Multidimensional Analysis

1. Ethnic and Social Dynamics

A. Identity Paradox and Cultural Hybridity

• • • • Evolving Identity: Indo-Mauritians (70% population) face an identity crisis, balancing ancestral “Indianness” with a cosmopolitan Mauritian identity. “Post-ethnic” identity, where cultural purity is diluted by hybridity and secular influences.
      • Franco-Mauritian Elite: The 2% white elite control 70% of sugar estates and 60% of banking assets. Their social exclusivity (e.g., endogamy, inherited wealth) fuels class-ethnic tensions, complicating India’s outreach beyond the Indian diaspora.

 

B. Diplomatic Balancing Act

• • • • India’s focus on cultural institutions (e.g., Mahatma Gandhi Institute) risks alienating Creole and African communities.
        • 2024 protests by Creole groups against perceived “Indian hegemony” in infrastructure projects.
      • Constitutional Context: Mauritius’s “Rainbow Nation” ethos (Article 1) mandates equal engagement with all ethnicities, limiting India’s diaspora-centric approach.

 

2. Strategic and Security Challenges

A. China’s Expanding Footprint

• • • • Military Inroads: China’s base in Djibouti, stealth submarines in Pakistan, and surveillance tech (e.g., Huawei in Mauritius) challenge India’s naval dominance.
        • 36 Chinese-built Indian Ocean ports have dual-use potential (e.g., Hambantota, Sri Lanka).
      • Economic Leverage: China’s $2.3 billion investments in Madagascar (roads, SEZs) and Comoros (stadiums) undercut India’s “first responder” image.

 

B. Agaléga Island Controversy

• • • • India’s ₹3,000 crore Agaléga project (airstrip, jetty) faces allegations of militarization, despite PM Jugnauth’s denials.
        • Comparisons to Diego Garcia (US-UK base) could trigger sovereignty debates in the Indian Ocean Commission.

3. Economic and Diplomatic Risks

A. Debt-Trap Perception

• • • • India’s $1.1 billion development aid (2015–25) and lines of credit ($729 million) risk accusations of replicating China’s BRI model.
        • Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port debt crisis (2017) serves as a cautionary tale.
      • FDI Dependency: Mauritius accounts for 23% of India’s FDI inflows ($163 billion, 2000–2024), but DTAA revisions (2021) reduced treaty-shopping, raising sustainability concerns.

 

B. Trade Asymmetry

• • • • Despite CECPA (2021), India’s exports to Mauritius ($497 million) dwarf imports ($57 million), causing trade imbalance grievances.

 

4. Legal and Governance Hurdles

A. Chagos Archipelago Dispute

• • • • Mauritius claims sovereignty over Chagos (UK-administered), but India’s tacit support for the UK-US Diego Garcia base complicates alignment with Mauritian interests.

 

B. Regulatory Compliance

• • • • India’s insistence on FATF-style audits for Mauritian investments clashes with the island’s secrecy laws, affecting DTAA compliance.

 

5. Climate and Sustainability Pressures

A. Climate Vulnerability

• • • • Cyclone Chido (2024) caused $200 million damages in Agaléga, exposing gaps in India’s disaster-response scalability.
      • Blue Economy Risks: Overfishing by Chinese trawlers in Mauritius’s EEZ threatens marine biodiversity, testing joint surveillance mechanisms.

 

B. Renewable Energy Gap

• • • • Mauritius aims for 60% renewable energy by 2030, but India’s solar exports ($12 million) lag behind China’s $47 million investments in Seychelles’ renewables.

THE WAY FORWARD:

1. Maritime Security Integration via SAGAR 2.0

A. Institutionalize Multi-Agency Maritime Grid

• • • • Merge India’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC-IOR) with Mauritius’ proposed National Maritime Information Sharing Center to create a unified Indian Ocean Maritime Domain Awareness (IOMDA) platform.
        • 36% of global maritime piracy incidents (2024) occur in the Western Indian Ocean; real-time data fusion can reduce response time by 40%.

 

B. Agaléga as a Dual-Use Hub

• • • • Convert Agaléga’s $192M infrastructure into a Climate-Security Nexus Base for:
        • Disaster Response: Pre-position Indian Navy’s HADR assets (e.g., INS Jalashwa) for Cyclone-prone zones.
        • Collaborate with Mauritius Oceanography Institute on deep-sea mining viability in the Rodrigues Ridge, estimated to hold 8 billion tons of polymetallic nodules.

 

2. CECPA 2.0: From Trade to Tech

A. MSME Corridors into Africa

• • • • Establish CECPA Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Mauritius, offering Indian MSMEs:
        • Tax Holidays: 10-year exemption mirroring Mauritius’ Smart City Scheme.
        • Francophone Access: Leverage Mauritius’ bilingual workforce to penetrate Francophone Africa, a $489B market.

 

B. Address Trade Asymmetry

• • • • Deploy Blockchain-Smart Contracts under CECPA to automate Rules of Origin (RoO) compliance, reducing non-tariff barriers for Mauritian exports like tuna (India imports 92% of its tuna).

 

3. Blue Economy Co-Innovation

A. Joint Blue Bond Issuance

• • • • Launch a $500M India-Mauritius Blue Bond (AAA-rated via EXIM Bank) to fund:
        • Sustainable Aquaculture: Seaweed farms (Mauritius’ 2024 pilot yielded 12K tons/year).
        • Marine Biotechnology: Joint R&D on anti-cancer compounds in Mauritian corals, patenting via CSIR.

 

B. Carbon-Neutral Shipping

• • • • Partner with Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to electrify Mauritius’ port logistics using India’s Green Hydrogen Hubs.

 

4. Hybrid Cultural-Statecraft

A. “Bhojpuri-Creole” Digital Revival

• • • • Launch SWAYAM-Mauritius (MOOCs in Bhojpuri/French) under the World Hindi Secretariat, targeting 50K diaspora youth by 2026.
        • Precedent: Israel’s Ulpan model for Hebrew revival.

 

B. Ethno-Inclusive Tourism

• • • • Develop Indo-Creole Heritage Trails linking Aapravasi Ghat (UNESCO site for indentured labor history) with Bihar’s Bidesia Art villages, funded by NITI Aayog’s Dekho Apna Desh scheme.

 

5. Climate Judiciary Partnerships

A. Indo-Mauritian Climate Tribunal

• • • • Propose a UNGA Resolution co-sponsored by Mauritius to recognize “Climate Reparations” for small island states, leveraging India’s G20 and UNSC non-permanent seats (2027-28).
        • Incorporate principles from Vanuatu v. Fossil Fuel Exporters (2023 ICJ advisory opinion).

 

B. Solar-Diplomacy

• • • • Deploy ISRO’s SCATSAT-3 for cyclone prediction in Mauritius’ EEZ, coupled with Solar Microgrids (50% subsidized by India’s ISA) to replace diesel generators in Agaléga.

 

6. Digital Rupee as Strategic Currency

A. CBDC Corridor

• • • • Pilot Digital Rupee (e₹) transactions for:
        • Diaspora Remittances: Target 25% of $3.9B annual inflows from Indo-Mauritians.
        • DTAA Compliance: Smart contracts to auto-flag treaty-shopping, addressing FATF concerns.

 

B. Cyber-Ocean Governance

• • • • Co-develop AI-Based IUU Fishing Alerts using India’s Fisheries Radar and Mauritius’ EEZ patrol data, reducing illegal fishing by 30% (current annual loss: $90M).

THE CONCLUSION:

By reimagining the partnership through tech-sovereignty, climate reparations, and ethno-financial innovation, India can position Mauritius as the “Singapore of the Indian Ocean”—a hub where SAGAR meets SDGs. This requires transcending post-colonial binaries and embracing algorithmic diplomacy to outcompete China’s cheque-book statecraft.

UPSC PAST YEAR QUESTION:

Q. Discuss the geopolitical and geostrategic importance of Maldives for India with a focus on global trade and energy flows. Further also discuss how this relationship affects India’s maritime security and regional stability amidst international competition? 2024

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. India-Mauritius relations are anchored in historical kinship but face contemporary geopolitical and economic headwinds. Analyse how shared cultural legacies and strategic imperatives have shaped this partnership.

SOURCE:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/as-prime-minister-modi-lands-in-mauritius-why-the-island-country-matters-to-india-9879814/

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