NEW DELHI: The State Visit of Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam to India from September 9 to 16, 2025, reached its defining moment in Varanasi, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and issued a joint statement that reaffirmed the deep, historic, and strategic ties binding the two nations. The choice of Varanasi—India’s oldest living city and a symbol of civilizational continuity, lent a powerful cultural resonance to a partnership that is now firmly anchored in development, security, and innovation.
Following their talks, Prime Minister Modi remarked that “Mauritius is not just a partner, but family. Our cooperation is not transactional, it is civilizational, rooted in trust and a shared destiny.” His counterpart, Prime Minister Ramgoolam, expressed gratitude and confidence, stating that “India has consistently stood by Mauritius, not only in words but through concrete actions that have shaped our progress. This visit elevates our cooperation to new heights, from healthcare and infrastructure to science, oceans, and outer space.”
The visit was marked by the announcement of an ambitious development package worth nearly USD 655 million. On a grant basis of USD 215 million, India will support the construction of a new Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital, establish an AYUSH Centre of Excellence, set up a Veterinary School and Animal Hospital, and provide helicopters for connectivity and emergency services.
On a grant-cum-line-of-credit model worth USD 440 million, India will assist in completing the new ATC tower at SSR International Airport, the development of Motorway M4 and Ring Road Phase II, and the acquisition of port equipment by the Cargo Handling Corporation of Mauritius. Together, these projects underscore India’s role as a long-term development partner and Mauritius’s aspiration to strengthen its position as a hub in the Indian Ocean.
The joint statement also highlighted strategic cooperation, with India and Mauritius agreeing in principle to redevelop and restructure Port Louis and to collaborate in the development and surveillance of the Chagos Marine Protected Area. In addition, New Delhi announced USD 25 million in budgetary support to Mauritius for the current financial year, an immediate measure to ease fiscal pressures.
The visit produced a further expansion of cooperation into new and futuristic domains through seven Memoranda of Understanding and agreements:
• Cooperation in science and technology between India’s Department of Science and Technology and Mauritius’s Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science & Research.
• A partnership in oceanography between CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography (India) and the Mauritius Oceanography Institute.
• Capacity building through an MoU between Karmayogi Bharat (DoPT, India) and Mauritius’s Ministry of Public Service.
• Energy cooperation in the power sector.
• Indian grant assistance for Phase II of Small Development Projects.
• Renewal of hydrography cooperation.
• A landmark space cooperation agreement for the establishment of a Telemetry, Tracking, and Telecommunications Station in Mauritius to support satellites, launch vehicles, and space research.
The symbolism of announcing these initiatives in Varanasi should not be underestimated. For India, the city represents civilizational depth and continuity; for Mauritius, whose large diaspora has deep cultural links to Kashi, it resonates as a spiritual and cultural homecoming. In this context, the outcomes of the visit reflect more than development partnerships—they affirm a shared heritage while shaping a forward-looking agenda.
From hospitals to highways, and from oceans to outer space, India and Mauritius have demonstrated that their relationship is multidimensional and future-ready. As Prime Minister Modi aptly described it, this partnership is “a bridge between the Global South and the Global future.” Prime Minister Ramgoolam reinforced this vision, declaring that “when small states and large states work in trust, they can together shape the destiny of their peoples.”
This visit has, therefore, elevated India–Mauritius ties beyond the rhetoric of friendship into a strategic partnership of deliverables. It has made Mauritius a key anchor in India’s Indian Ocean strategy and a vital partner in articulating a development-led narrative for the Global South.
– Dr. Shahid Siddiqui; follow via X @shahidsiddiqui
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