Seychelles and the Indian Diaspora
Context
Ahead of a planned PM Modi visit (29 July), focus is on India–Seychelles ties and the long-established Indian-origin community there.
Key Facts
- People of Indian origin form ~5% of Seychelles’ population.
- First Indians arrived in 1770, alongside French colonists.
- Seychelles: a strategically located archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, ~1,500 km from India.
- India is a key security and development partner for Seychelles.
Facts
- Location: Seychelles lies off East Africa, near Comoros/Madagascar, in the western IOR flanked by Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique on the African mainland side.
- SAGAR (2015) : “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (India’s original Indian Ocean doctrine).
- MAHASAGAR : the recently reframed/expanded version of SAGAR.
- Seychelles is a member of IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association).
- Strategic relevance: counters growing Chinese presence in the western Indian Ocean; ties into India’s role as a net security provider in the IOR.
Way Forward
- Seychelles is central to India’s maritime vision and its positioning as the principal security guarantor in its immediate maritime neighbourhood.
Exam-Useful Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SAGAR | India’s 2015 Indian Ocean doctrine : “Security and Growth for All in the Region” |
| MAHASAGAR | Reframed/upgraded version of SAGAR |
| IORA | Indian Ocean Rim Association : regional grouping incl. Seychelles |
| Net security provider | A state providing security beyond its own borders in a region, for itself and partners |
