Why this matters now
For UPSC GS-2, Mauritius is the textbook case of India’s “Neighbourhood First” and maritime-security diplomacy in action — development partnership without a debt trap, a shared diaspora, and a strategic location that matters in the contest for influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In 2025 India articulated MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) as the next evolution of SAGAR, with Mauritius again central.
Civilisational and historical roots
Indians were brought to Mauritius as indentured labourers from the 1830s; the Aapravasi Ghat in Port Louis (a UNESCO site) marks their arrival. Today people of Indian origin form the demographic and political majority, and Bhojpuri-Hindi cultural links remain strong. India and Mauritius established diplomatic ties at Mauritius’ independence in 1968, and India has been a first responder in every Mauritian crisis since.
Maritime security and Agalega
Mauritius has a vast Exclusive Economic Zone and sits near key shipping routes. India helps it with maritime domain awareness, coastal radar, hydrography, and patrol vessels (e.g., the Barracuda and Trishul-class assistance). The Agalega Islands — where India built an airstrip and jetty jointly inaugurated in 2024 — strengthen surveillance of the south-western Indian Ocean. India frames this as capacity-building for Mauritius, not a base.
Economy, development assistance and DTAA
India is a leading source of investment and development finance for Mauritius: the Metro Express, a new Supreme Court building, social housing, and a Special Economic Zone have all received Indian lines of credit and grants. The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), long the conduit for FDI into India, was revised in 2016 to introduce source-based capital-gains taxation and curb round-tripping — a key reform in India’s financial-integrity story.
Issues and the China factor
China has courted Mauritius with a free-trade agreement and infrastructure offers, making the IOR a zone of strategic competition. India’s edge is the diaspora, trust, and rapid assistance (vaccines during COVID, currency support, disaster relief). Mauritius also backs India on the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty question. Managing transparency around Agalega and sustaining grant-based (not loan-heavy) cooperation are the watch-points.
UPSC angle
Use Mauritius as your lead example for SAGAR/MAHASAGAR and Neighbourhood-First in Mains GS-2. Pair the diaspora and development angle with the hard-security angle (Agalega, EEZ surveillance) and the China-competition framing.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Mauritius important to India?
Mauritius has a majority population of Indian origin, sits on critical Indian Ocean sea lanes, and is the cornerstone of India’s maritime doctrine SAGAR. It is India’s closest partner in the western Indian Ocean for security, development and diaspora ties.
What is the significance of Agalega?
India helped build an airstrip and jetty on Mauritius’ Agalega Islands (inaugurated 2024) to boost maritime surveillance and connectivity in the south-western Indian Ocean. India describes it as capacity-building for Mauritius, not an Indian base.
What is the India-Mauritius DTAA and why was it revised?
The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement long routed large FDI into India. It was revised in 2016 to allow source-based taxation of capital gains, curbing tax avoidance and round-tripping.
What is SAGAR?
SAGAR — Security and Growth for All in the Region — is India’s Indian Ocean doctrine of cooperative security and development. In 2025 India advanced MAHASAGAR as its broader successor vision.