Indo-Mauritius Bilateral Relations: A Growing Bonhomie

The present paper provides a comprehensive overview of Indo-Mauritius bilateral relations in the 21st Century, examining their political & diplomatic, commercial, defense & strategic and cultural dimensions . The political and diplomatic relations between two republics India and Mauritius exist since 1948.This aspect of bilateral relations has become so strong and cordial because of regular high-level visits from both sides. Since 2005 India has been one of the major trading partners of Mauritius and since 2000 the Cumulative FDI worth USD 177 billion has come from Mauritius to India. The defense cooperation constitutes the backbone of their strategic partnership to counter Beijing’s growing footprint in the Indo-Pacific region. India has also strong cultural ties with Mauritius. Over 70 % of Mauritian population is of Indian descent. Hence, Mauritius is rightly called ‘Chota Bharat’ (Mini India).