Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strategic three-day visit to Seychelles has reinforced India’s relations with the Indian Ocean archipelago. Despite its small size, Seychelles occupies a crucial geopolitical position near critical sea lanes that connect Asia and Africa. While India’s ties with its immediate neighbours remain fraught, its diplomatic and economic relations with Seychelles have stood out as robust and stable. Modi, as the Guest of Honour at the country’s 50th Independence Day celebrations alongside President Patrick Herminie, underscored the significance of this partnership. The bilateral talks and the subsequent agreements focused on elevating economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries. Given Seychelles’ expansive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), enhanced marine cooperation may emerge as a pivotal, mutually beneficial outcome.
India handed over a patrol vessel and additional equipment to the Seychelles Coast Guard, sharpening its capabilities in ocean surveillance. This extends a series of Indian deliveries of patrol and interceptor vessels and maritime surveillance aircraft to the Seychelles defence force, alongside assistance in installing coastal surveillance radars. India also feeds Seychelles real-time intelligence on threats, such as narcotics trafficking, and trains its forces to counter them. The economic partnership also runs deep. Discussions are progressing on India’s $175-million aid and economic package, which was announced earlier this year. The two sides inked agreements spanning multiple areas: from healthcare and agriculture to digital payment systems and space cooperation. India will also station four defence advisors in Seychelles under a fresh bilateral agreement, signalling intent for a deeper strategic collaboration.
As an island nation, Seychelles is acutely vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Prime Minister Modi and President Herminie noted that small island states and the wider Global South will bear a disproportionate share of the costs of global warming. India has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Seychelles through cooperation in sustainable marine development, renewable energy and coastal management, and capacity-building efforts to confront climate risks. This partnership assumes greater strategic significance as the Indian Ocean becomes an arena of growing geopolitical competition, as China expands its influence across the region through infrastructure investments and financial assistance. India’s engagement with Seychelles becomes vital against this backdrop. As Prime Minister Modi observed, the next fifty years of cooperation should be shaped by innovation, sustainability, and shared prosperity. (Source: DH)
