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Amidst escalating volatility in West Asia that has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, India and Mauritius have finalized a landmark Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement for the supply of oil and gas. The deal, announced Thursday by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, marks a decisive shift in the island nation’s energy procurement strategy. It comes at a critical juncture as Mauritius faces an 82% spike in its fuel import bill due to supply chain disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The agreement is designed to provide Mauritius with a reliable and long-term alternative to spot-market purchases, which have become prohibitively expensive. With nearly a fifth of the world’s oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz—currently under a chokehold due to the ongoing regional conflict—smaller, import-dependent nations like Mauritius have been hit hardest by soaring freight costs and insurance premiums. Under the pact, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will serve as the primary supplier of petroleum products, integrated into a broader $680 million special economic package provided by New Delhi. Beyond fossil fuels, India is also developing Mauritius’s first floating solar power project to reduce long-term dependency on imports.
This move is a central pillar of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership established during PM Narendra Modi’s visit in 2025. By securing Mauritius’s energy needs, India is reinforcing its role as the “first responder” and preferred security partner in the Western Indian Ocean. In addition to the energy deal, several other strategic milestones were reached, including the positioning of India’s first dedicated Defence Attaché in Port Louis and the launch of the iGOT Karmayogi civil servant training portal. For New Delhi, this pact is a textbook execution of its “Neighborhood First” and “Vision SAGAR” policies, leveraging India’s energy infrastructure to tie the security of Mauritius closer to its own. While a temporary ceasefire was recently reached in West Asia, the structural risk to the Strait remains high, making this G2G agreement a permanent shield for Mauritius against global geopolitical leverage.
