India and Mauritius have reached a mutual agreement to collaborate on harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to drive human development.
The two countries also introduced the “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions” initiative, which aims to promote trade for development, capacity-building for sustainable progress, and collective security for a prosperous future. India will offer support through technology exchange, concessional loans, and grants as part of this collaboration.
“On the special occasion of Mauritius’ National Day, I had the opportunity to meet my good friend, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discuss the full range of India-Mauritius friendship. We have decided to raise our partnership to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X.
“We talked about how we can work together in areas such as infrastructure, housing, digital technology, health and more. We also want to cover more ground in areas like AI, capacity building and sustainable growth,” Modi added.
In July last year, the South Asian nation announced its intention to integrate AI technology into digital public infrastructure to improve efficiencies and redefine its digital ecosystem. India’s DPI includes a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) public platform and Aadhaar, touted as the world’s largest biometric identification system.
“The seamless fusion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) with artificial intelligence propels us into a new world of ‘Digital Public Intelligence,’ representing a transformative leap forward,” India said in its report on the G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure.
“People-to-people ties form a strong foundation for our partnership. Cooperation shall be extended in areas like, Digital Health, AYUSH Centre, school education, skilling and mobility. We will work together to utilize AI and DPI, i.e. Digital Public Infrastructure for the development of mankind,” Modi said during the India–Mauritius joint press statement.
Modi pointed out that the ties between India and Mauritius are not only bound by the Indian Ocean—the two nations are partners on the journey to economic and social development. Modi said the two nations have created new records in developmental cooperation and capacity building, whether it’s security or education, space or healthcare.
“Be it the Global South, the Indian Ocean or the African Continent, Mauritius is our important partner. Ten years ago, the foundation of Vision SAGAR, which stands for “Security and Growth for All in the Region” was laid here in Mauritius. We’re moving ahead with the SAGAR Vision for the stability and prosperity of this region,” Modi said.
“Today, building upon this, I want to say that our vision for Global South will be – going beyond SAGAR – it will be MAHASAGAR, i.e. “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.” It shall encompass the ideas of trade for development, capacity building for sustainable growth, and mutual security for a shared future. Under this, we will extend cooperation through technology sharing, concessional loan and grants,” Modi added.
India, the world’s largest democracy, has been actively enhancing its ties with major trade partners to stimulate domestic manufacturing and create job opportunities. India and the United Kingdom are exploring opportunities for collaboration in AI, next-generation telecommunications, and space technology. At the same time, India and the European Union (EU) are collaborating to leverage AI to tackle natural disasters and climate change challenges while enhancing joint efforts in semiconductor research and manufacturing, secured telecommunication networks, and cybersecurity.
Discussions are fructifying at a time when India is also rapidly moving forward to finalize a trade deal with the United States by the fall of this year. At the same time, the world’s fastest-growing major economy is focused on minimizing the full effects of the trade restrictions imposed by the Trump administration.
The India-Mauritius joint vision
Highlighting India’s continued support for the development of health and educational infrastructure, including assistance in adopting and deploying health-related DPIs and platforms, both nations reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare for the people of Mauritius.
To further strengthen their collaboration in the health sector, the two leaders committed to working closely on the timely implementation of the Digital Health Office system in Mauritius. Additionally, they agreed to send a specialist from India to support the Mauritian government’s efforts to digitize its healthcare services.
According to the “India-Mauritius Joint Vision for an Enhanced Strategic Partnership,” emphasizing India’s success in implementing various people-focused digitization initiatives and their positive effects on governance and service delivery, the Prime Minister of Mauritius sought India’s assistance in supporting Mauritius’ digital transformation across multiple sectors. In response, the Prime Minister of India offered full support to this effort. In line with this objective, the leaders agreed to support the implementation of the e-judiciary system and digitisation of archives and records at Mahatma Gandhi Institute.
The two nations also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of ICT, including cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, and capacity building. They also agreed to explore implementing successful digital tools developed by India, such as PM Gati Shakti’s digital platform, per Mauritius’s requirements.
“Over the next five years, 500 civil servants from Mauritius shall receive training in India. Additionally, we have reached an agreement for settlement of mutual trade in local currency,” Modi informed.
“India and Mauritius will continue working together to make our planet prosperous and sustainable,” Modi added.
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