Deepening development bonds

Mauritius (Commonwealth) _ On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Pravind Jugnauth of Mauritius will jointly launch six development projects, including a new airstrip and jetty, at Agalega Island in Mauritius, strengthening their decades-long relationship. 
 
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders will launch these initiatives via video conference at 1 pm. 
 
The PMO statement stated that the launch of these initiatives is evidence of the strong and long-standing development cooperation between Mauritius and India. Initiatives to improve marine security and Agalega’s connection to the Mauritius mainland The Prime Minister’s Office declared, “These projects’ inaugurations are evidence of the strong and long-standing development collaboration between Mauritius and India. 
 
According to the statement, the initiatives would improve connection between Agalega and the mainland of Mauritius, bolster marine security, and promote socioeconomic growth. The announcement of these initiatives is noteworthy because, as stated in the press release, PM Modi and his counterpart Jugnauth launched the RuPay Card and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Mauritius on February 12. 
 
During the introduction, Prime Minister Modi stated that new duties for unifying partners with India are being implemented through India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI). For three friendly nations around the Indian Ocean, it is a memorable day. We are utilizing current digital methods to link our historical relations now. This demonstrates our dedication to our employees’ growth, PM 

In a virtual ceremony today, PM Modi announced the introduction of UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, saying that this is evidence of our dedication to the growth of our people. According to him, cross-border contacts as well as cross-border transactions would be reinforced by Fintech connectivity. Fintech connectivity is expected to enhance not just cross-border transactions but also cross-border connections. According to PM Modi, “Unifying Partners with India is the new duty that India’s Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, is performing. 

 “The event that marked the introduction of India’s UPI services in the two island nations was attended by Prime Minister Praveen Jugnauth of Mauritius and President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka. The prime minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, stated that the relationship between India and Mauritius has taken on new significance with the introduction of digital payment connection. 

“It is an honor to be here with all of you on this historic occasion,” he added. The domestic card in Mauritius will be the Rupay card, which is co-branded with our national payments switch, the MoCAS. India and Mauritius have deep cultural, economic, and interpersonal ties that stretch back many centuries. We are adding yet another layer to this relationship today. 

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The initiatives are intended to improve the connectivity between the mainland of Mauritius and Agalega, fortify marine security, and promote socioeconomic growth in the area. 
 
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated, “The inauguration of these projects is a testament to the robust and decades-long development partnership between India and Mauritius.” 
 
The beginning of these initiatives is especially significant since it comes just after the two countries launched RuPay Card services in Mauritius on February 12, 2024, and India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI), an instant payment technology service. 
 
Relationship between Mauritius and India 
 
India and the island country tucked away in the western Indian Ocean have strong, ten-year connections. These relationships are based on a combination of historical, demographic, and cultural affinities, as demonstrated by the astounding statistic that, as of October 2023, people of Indian descent made up almost 70% of the 1.2 million inhabitants of the island, with 28% of them being Creole, 3% being Sino-Mauritian, and 1% being Franco-Mauritian. 
 
Notably, India has supported many development initiatives in Mauritius throughout the years. The island nation’s Indian Cultural Center, the biggest in the world With the World Hindi Secretariat, the island nation’s major cultural center bears witness to the long-lasting cultural and interpersonal connections between the two countries. 
 
India’s role for Mauritius’ infrastructure development 

 
A Special Economic Package of $353 million was given to Mauritius by India in May 2016 for five major projects: the construction of the Supreme Court, the Metro Express project, the New ENT Hospital, the social housing program, and the distribution of tablets to students. 
 
A $500 million Line of Credit (LoC) was subsequently extended in 2017 to support the social and infrastructure initiatives in Mauritius. Notable support has also been provided for Phase III of the Metro project, with the approval of a $190 million grant and an additional $10 million grant in October 2021, followed by an extra LoC. 

Notable support has also been provided for Phase III of the Metro project, with approval of a $190 million grant and an additional $10 million grant in October 2021, and an additional $300 million LoC and $25 million grant in August 2022. 
 
Signed in January 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding on community development projects highlights the commitment to carry out over 100 small-scale, people-focused initiatives in Mauritius. 
 
Among the finished projects funded by India are the World Hindi Secretariat, Rajiv Gandhi Science Center, Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, Subramania Bharati Eye Centre, Upadhyay Training Centre, and Swami Vivekananda International Conference Centre.