India and Seychelles have agreed on a broad package of new cooperation measures that signal a tighter partnership across security, technology and development in the Indian Ocean region. The 19 announced outcomes came after talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Seychelles President Patrick Herminie during Modi’s three‑day state visit.
A Broader Strategic Partnership
The package is framed as a major expansion of bilateral cooperation. It highlights India’s aim to work more closely with the island nation on security, connectivity, capacity building, and development projects. The two countries also unveiled a special logo to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations and virtually launched work on a new Professional and Technical Education Centre, signalling longer‑term investment in skills and education.
Security, Defence, and Maritime Support
On the defence side, India is gifting a fast patrol vessel to Seychelles and has handed over 10 utility vehicles and five Laser Radial‑class boats to the Seychelles Defence Force. These assets strengthen local capacity to monitor and secure the country’s large maritime zone. India and Seychelles also marked the completion of the refit of the Coast Guard vessel PS Zoroaster and an upgrade of a Dornier aircraft with a modern glass cockpit, improving surveillance and response capabilities. An extradition treaty adds a legal tool for tackling cross‑border crime.
Space and Digital Connectivity
The outcomes include an agreement on the peaceful uses of outer space, giving Seychelles access to Indian space expertise and satellite data for areas such as ocean monitoring, weather, and disaster management.
Financial and digital links are set to tighten as well. The National Payments Corporation of India’s international arm and the Central Bank of Seychelles signed a deal to introduce Unified Payments Interface (UPI)‑based digital payments in the country. The move aims to make everyday transactions smoother and deepen economic and technological cooperation. An umbrella Line of Credit agreement with India’s Exim Bank further supports future projects.
Health and Development Assistance
Healthcare collaboration gets a boost through an agreement between HLL Lifecare Ltd and Seychelles’ Ministry of Health under India’s Jan Aushadhi initiative, designed to improve access to affordable, quality medicines. Another memorandum covers initial planning for a new Seychelles National Hospital.
India also reaffirmed its role as a development partner by handing over six ambulances, 500 metric tonnes of rice, and 8,500 metric tonnes of cement, supporting both basic services and infrastructure.
Taken together, the 19 measures show India combining security support, economic tools, and social‑sector cooperation to anchor its relationship with Seychelles, a small but strategically placed state in the Indian Ocean.
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