Overview of Mauritius PM Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam’s Visit to India from September 09 to 16, 2025

The Prime Minister (PM) of the Republic of Mauritius, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, undertook an 8-day official visit to India from September 09 to 16, 2025, at the invitation of PM of India Narendra Modi.

• This marked Mauritian PM Ramgoolam’s 1st overseas bilateral visit to India in his present term.
• During his visit to India, Mauritian PM Ramgoolam called on President of India Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi (Delhi); and also, held bilateral discussions with PM Narendra Modi to further the ‘Enhanced Strategic Partnership’.
• He also visited Indian cities: Mumbai (Maharashtra), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh, UP), Ayodhya (UP), and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh, AP).

Highlights of Mauritius PM Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam’s Visit to India:

Mumbai’s Visit: On September 10 2025, PM of Mauritius Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam arrived at Mumbai Airport in Mumbai, Maharashtra to attend a India-Mauritius Business Conclave, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI)in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• While addressing the conclave, Mauritian PM Ramgoolam announced that the Government of Mauritius will establish a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) dedicated for Indian companies.

Varanasi’s Visit: On September 10, 2025, Mauritius PM Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, along with his wife Veena Ramgoolam and a delegation of ministers, officials, and business leaders, arrived in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh(UP), for his official visit to India.

• He took part in several important events, including offering prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.

Bilateral meeting: PM Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Mauritian counterpart Ramgoolam in Varanasi.

• Following the bilateral meeting, India announced Special Economic Package worth USD 680 million for Mauritius and signed 7 key Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to further expand bilateral relations in several critical sectors like: maritime security.

Ayodhya’s Visit: On September 12 2025, Mauritian PM Ramgoolam, along with his wife, Veena Ramgoolam offered prayers at Shree Ramjanambhumi Temple in Ayodhya, UP, as part of his week-long official visit to India.

• He was accompanied by his 30-member delegation and Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister (CM) of UP.
• Following this visit, Ramgoolam became the only 2nd head of State of a country to offer prayers at the temple, after Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Tirupati’s Visit: Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam visited Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh(AP), on September 15, 2025, as part of his official tour of India. His visit underscored the deep-rooted cultural and spiritual ties between India and Mauritius.

• PM Ramgoolam, with his wife and delegation, offered prayers at Sri Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala(AP), and later attended a spiritual event at Bramarishi Ashram, Tirupati, where Siddhguru Sideswar Bramdeswi Gurudev Swami praised his leadership and announced a USD 1 billion initiative for Mauritius’ education, healthcare, and development.

Key Outcomes:

SE Package for Mauritius: The Government of India (GoI) announced a special economic package worth USD 680 million for Mauritius to support projects in sectors like healthcare, infrastructure and maritime.

Grand-Based Projects: The newly announced package will provide USD 215 million for grant-based projects in Mauritius which include: Ayush, Yoga, & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Centre of Excellence (CoE), New Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital; Veterinary School and Animal Hospital and Jan Aushadhi Kendra.

Grant-Cum-Line of Credit (LOC) projects: Under the Special Economic Package, GoI will provide USD 440 million for projects undertaken under Grant-Cum- LOC basis, including: completion of construction work of new Air Traffic Controller (ATC) tower at SSR International Airport(Mauritius); development of Motorway M4 Expansion ; development of Ring Road Phase-II; and Acquisition of port equipment by Container Handling Corporation Ltd(CHCL).

Budgetary Assistance: In addition to these projects, the Government of India(GoI) will provide USD 25 million as budgetary support to Port Louis(Mauritius)for the current Financial Year(FY).

7 Key MoUs/Agreements:

Science & Technology: The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology (MoS&T) has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science, and Research, Mauritius, in the field of Science and Technology.

Oceanography: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) has signed a MoU with Mauritius Oceanography Institute, aimed at promoting oceanographic research between the countries.

Capacity Building: Karamyogi Bharat under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPP&P), has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Government of Mauritius, aimed at strengthening public service capacity building.

Small Development Projects: The GoI has signed a MoU with Mauritian Government, regarding Indian grant assistance for the implementation of Phase-II of Small Development Projects in Mauritius.

Power: A MoU Signed between the GoI and the Government of Mauritius, aimed to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in the field of power sector.

Hydrography: India and Mauritius have renewed their MoU in the field of hydrography. As per the MoU, both countries will conduct joint surveys, navigation charts, and hydrographic data of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Mauritius, over the next 5 years.

Telemetry, Tracking &Telecommunications: Both India and Mauritius have signed a MoU on cooperation for the establishment of telemetry, tracking and telecommunications station for satellites and launch vehicles, and for cooperation in the fields of Space Research, Science and Application.

• As per the MoU, both India and Mauritius have agreed to set up a tracking station in Mauritius near Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and the United States of America-the United Kingdom (USA-UK) strategic military base.
• In May 2025, Mauritius and the UK signed the Chagos treaty which recognized Mauritius’s sovereignty over Diego Garcia.
• However, the UK has been allowed to use Diego Garcia for defence purposes.

Key Announcements:

Education: Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M)(Tamil Nadu, TN) and Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM), Bengaluru(Karnataka) have signed a MoUs with University of Mauritius, Reduit, aimed to bolster bilateral cooperation in research, education, and innovation.

Science & Technology: During the bilateral meeting, PM Narendra Modi announced to establish a new directorate of science and technology in Mauritius.

Energy: Both countries announced plans to expedite the G2G proposal to establish a 17.5 Mega Watt (MW) Floating Solar Photo-Voltaic (PV) Project at Tamarind Falls(Mauritius), with a technical team from NTPC Limited (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation)scheduled to visit Mauritius soon to finalize the agreement.
About Mauritius:
Prime Minister (PM)- Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam
Capital- Port Louis
Currency- Mauritian Rupee (MUR)