India & Seychelles: MAHASAGAR Vision for Economic Ties

Mumbai,Feb 7 (PTI) India's engagement with Seychelles is guided by the MAHASAGAR vision, which emphasises economic cooperation, sustainability and security in the Indian Ocean Region, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Saturday.

Speaking at the India-Seychelles Business Roundtable here, which was attended by Seychelles President Patrick Herminie, Sonowal also said that India is at a pivotal moment, supported by sustained domestic demand, a reform-oriented policy environment and large-scale infrastructure investment.

Organised by the industry body CII, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, the roundtable explored opportunities to deepen cooperation in maritime trade, blue economy sectors and sustainable development between the two countries.

The roundtable saw participation from several business entities from industries such as infrastructure, ports, fisheries, health, education, fintech and automobile sectors besides senior officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and related organisations as well as Director General of Shipping.

"India's engagement with Seychelles is guided by the MAHASAGAR vision – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions – which emphasises economic cooperation, sustainability and security in the Indian Ocean Region," Sonowal, the Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways said.


He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on neighbourhood-first engagement, ocean-based cooperation, and inclusive growth has provided clear strategic direction to India's engagement with island nations of the Indian Ocean, including Seychelles.

India and Seychelles share a common vision of the Indian Ocean as a region of peace, stability and shared prosperity, Union Minister said and added that India's experience in port-led development, logistics, maritime services and renewable energy can complement Seychelles' development priorities while Mumbai's financial and fintech ecosystem can support innovation and financial inclusion initiatives,

Emphasising that India and Seychelles share a relationship rooted in history and strengthened by enduring people-to-people ties, with maritime exchanges predating modern diplomacy, he said this partnership has evolved into a close and friendly relationship based on shared democratic values, pluralism and mutual respect, with cooperation spanning development assistance, capacity building, education, healthcare, maritime security and disaster response.

Indian exports to Seychelles include pharmaceuticals, food products, textiles, engineering goods, construction materials, automobiles and consumer products, while Indian companies have contributed to infrastructure development, energy projects, construction and services in Seychelles. PTI IAS MR

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