India and Mauritius to Enhance Bilateral Cooperation in Personnel Management and Governance
Context:
During his visit to Mauritius on July 16-17, 2024, India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, proposed capacity-building programs for Mauritius Civil Service Officers at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG).
More in News:
- A follow-up meeting between India’s Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances(DARPG) and Mauritius’ Ministry of Public Service took place on August 6, 2024.
- The meeting focused on collaboration in personnel administration and governance, including sharing good governance practices, exchanging information, and organising capacity building programs for Mauritius Civil Service officers at NCGG.
- The Mauritius side expressed interest in utilising AI/ML to resolve grievances through CPGRAMS.
Steps Taken by the Indian Government for Effective Public Administration: Digital transformation of institutions Digital empowerment of citizens
India- Mauritius Relations:
Bilateral Relation Overview:
- A key reason for the special ties is the fact that Indian origin people comprise nearly 70% of the island’s population of 1.2 million.
- The enduring cultural and people-to-people ties between
- India and Mauritius are nurtured by the Indian Cultural Centre in Mauritius (India’s biggest in the world) and the
- World Hindi Secretariat, a bilateral organisation for the global promotion of Hindi.
- India has traditionally been the ‘first responder’ for Mauritius in times of crisis, including during the recent Covid-19 and Wakashio oil-spill crises.
Commercial Relations
- Trade: Since 2005, India has been a major trading partner of Mauritius.
- In FY 2022-2023, India exported goods worth USD 462.69 million to Mauritius, while Mauritius exported USD 91.50 million to India, totaling USD 554.19 million in trade.
- Trade has increased by 132% over 17 years.
- FDI: From 2000 to 2022, Mauritius contributed USD 161 billion in cumulative FDI to India, accounting for 26% of total FDI inflows.
- Since the 2016 DTAC amendment, FDI from Mauritius has decreased from USD 15.72 billion in 2016-17 to USD 6.13 billion in 2022-23.
- Mauritius remains India’s third largest FDI source,
- Indian companies investing over USD 200 million in Mauritius in the past five years.
- Mauritius and India signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on February 22, 2021, after nearly 15 years of negotiations.
- Effective from April 1, 2021, it is India’s first trade agreement with an African country.
India- Mauritius Strategic relations:
- Military and Security Collaboration
- Coastal Surveillance: India has set up radar stations in Mauritius to boost maritime security.
- Joint Exercises: The two nations conduct joint military exercises and training to strengthen defence ties.
- Strategic Importance
- Geopolitical Context: Mauritius is key to India’s strategy against China’s influence in the Indian Ocean, crucial for trade and maritime security.
- SAGAR Initiative: India’s SAGAR initiative focuses on enhancing engagement with maritime neighbours like Mauritius for regional security and stability.
