India and Seychelles Forge New Era of Ties: PM Modi Signs 9 Historic Pacts on Golden Jubilee Visit
VICTORIA, Seychelles — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a landmark three-day state visit to Seychelles by signing nine bilateral agreements and unveiling 19 cooperation initiatives, marking exactly 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Serving as the Guest of Honour during Seychelles’ Golden Jubilee of Independence celebrations from 27-29 June 2026, the visit reinforced India’s long-term strategic commitment to the Western Indian Ocean through expanded cooperation in defence, infrastructure, healthcare, digital connectivity and climate resilience.
Following delegation-level talks with Seychelles President Patrick Herminie in Victoria, India announced substantial financial assistance, defence support and institutional partnerships, further strengthening its position as Seychelles’ preferred strategic partner while advancing New Delhi’s Vision MAHASAGAR doctrine across the Indian Ocean.
India and Seychelles Expand Digital, Health and Institutional Cooperation
The visit placed strong emphasis on building modern institutions and strengthening public services.
A landmark agreement was finalised to introduce India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Seychelles, enabling faster digital transactions and improving payment convenience for residents, businesses and tourists.
In healthcare, Seychelles will gain direct access to affordable generic medicines through India’s Jan Aushadhi Scheme, reducing procurement costs and dependence on expensive international supply chains. Both governments also approved a framework for India to construct the state-of-the-art Seychelles National Hospital.
To strengthen legal and institutional cooperation, the two countries signed an Extradition Treaty. Additional agreements covered satellite cooperation under a Space Exploration pact, mutual recognition of maritime seafarers’ certificates, agricultural research collaboration and diplomatic capacity building.
India Extends Major Financial Support and Climate Partnership
To support implementation of the new agreements, India announced significant financial assistance.
A ₹1,250 crore Line of Credit through the EXIM Bank of India will finance priority infrastructure projects across Seychelles. PM Modi also unveiled a US$175 million Special Economic Package, combining grants and concessional loans to support social housing, vocational training and clean electric mobility.
India additionally provided immediate humanitarian assistance, including six ambulances, 500 tonnes of food-security rice and 8,500 tonnes of construction-grade cement.
Reflecting growing cooperation on climate resilience, President Herminie announced that Seychelles has formally joined the India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), strengthening collaboration to tackle climate-induced extreme weather events and rising sea levels.
Defence Cooperation Anchors Maritime Security
Maritime security emerged as the strategic centrepiece of the visit.
At the Seychelles Coast Guard headquarters, PM Modi formally handed over the Fast Patrol Vessel PS Lespwar (“Hope”), designed to strengthen Seychelles’ ability to combat piracy, narcotics trafficking and illegal maritime activities across its vast Exclusive Economic Zone.
India’s defence assistance package also included 10 tactical utility vehicles, five Laser Radial training boats, a comprehensive naval refit of the patrol vessel PS Zoroaster, and the complete modernisation of a Seychelles Dornier maritime patrol aircraft with a next-generation Indian-integrated glass cockpit.
The visit also focused on strengthening Seychelles’ maritime surveillance capabilities. India will upgrade the Coastal Surveillance Radar System (CSRS), a six-station radar network originally gifted in 2015. Although fully operated by the Seychelles Coast Guard, the system serves as an important intelligence asset by providing real-time maritime awareness to India’s Information Fusion Centre Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), helping secure critical sea lanes across the Western Indian Ocean.
Why Assumption Island Was Absent from the Agenda
Despite enhanced maritime cooperation, the long-delayed Assumption Island military infrastructure project was notably absent from official discussions.
Originally proposed under a 2015 agreement to construct an Indian-supported airstrip and jetty, the project has remained dormant following sustained domestic political opposition and sovereignty concerns within Seychelles.
Addressing the media after delegation-level talks, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that Assumption Island was not discussed during the visit.
The omission reflects an important evolution in India’s regional strategy. Rather than pursuing overseas military infrastructure, New Delhi increasingly emphasises strengthening the capabilities of partner nations through locally owned assets and institutional support. By enhancing Seychelles’ own surveillance systems and maritime capabilities, India advances regional security objectives while respecting domestic political sensitivities.
Misri reiterated that India’s partnership with Seychelles is “not transactional”, contrasting New Delhi’s grant-led development model with debt-driven infrastructure financing seen elsewhere in the region. He added that future projects would continue to be guided entirely by Seychelles’ own development priorities.
A New Phase in India-Seychelles Strategic Relations
Beyond the agreements, the visit carried considerable symbolic significance.
PM Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to address an Extraordinary Sitting of the National Assembly of Seychelles. During his 24-minute address, he declared that the “destinies of India and Seychelles are inextricably linked by the waves of the Indian Ocean”, reaffirming New Delhi’s vision of the ocean as a shared space for prosperity, security and cooperation.
The Prime Minister also offered prayers at the Navasakti Vinayagar Temple, interacted with members of the Indian diaspora in Victoria, and paid floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Peace Park.
In recognition of India’s leadership on environmental protection and climate resilience, President Herminie conferred upon PM Modi the “Guardian of the Blue Horizon”, Seychelles’ highest environmental honour.
As India and Seychelles mark five decades of diplomatic relations, the visit signals a transition from a traditionally development-focused partnership to a comprehensive strategic relationship encompassing defence, digital innovation, healthcare, climate resilience and maritime security. With the Indian Ocean becoming an increasingly contested geopolitical theatre, the agreements reached in Victoria position both nations to play a larger collaborative role in shaping the region’s future.
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