India and Mauritius have strengthened their energy partnership with the signing of a government-to-government MoU on oil and gas cooperation and a long-term agreement for petroleum product supplies during Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s visit to Mauritius on August 20-21.
The agreements are aimed at strengthening Mauritius’ energy security while expanding India’s role as a reliable energy partner in the Indian Ocean region.
In the presence of Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, India and Mauritius exchanged the oil and gas cooperation MoU on August 20.
At the same time, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Mauritius’ State Trading Corporation (STC) signed a five-year sales and purchase agreement for petroleum products.
Under the agreement, IOCL will meet Mauritius’ entire import requirement for:
- Motor Spirit (MS)
- High Speed Diesel (HSD)
- Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF)
The long-term arrangement is intended to provide Mauritius with more predictable supplies and reduce its exposure to international supply disruptions and price volatility.
According to the official statement, it is the first long-term supply agreement concluded by an Indian public-sector oil marketing company outside South Asia in recent years.
The government-to-government MoU institutionalises the countries’ existing energy relationship and covers several areas.
These include petroleum product supplies, training and capacity building for Mauritian officials and cooperation in biofuels.
During the visit, Puri held bilateral discussions with Mauritius’ Minister of Energy and Public Utilities Patrick Gervais Assirvaden, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection John Michaël Tzoun Sao Yeung Sik Yuen, and Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Minister Dhananjay Ramful.
Puri also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for a 27.5 TMT bunker marine fuel storage facility being developed by India Oil (Mauritius) Ltd at Mer Rouge in Port Louis.
The facility is expected to further support fuel availability and India’s energy-related engagement with Mauritius.
India has developed into a major global refining centre, with 23 refineries and annual refining capacity of around 267 million metric tonnes of petroleum products, according to the official statement.
The country is a net exporter of refined petroleum products and already supplies the petroleum requirements of neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan, along with significant quantities to other international markets.
The Mauritius agreement therefore adds another important dimension to India’s role as a supplier of refined petroleum products.
For Mauritius, a long-term supply arrangement with an established Indian public-sector oil company can provide greater predictability in meeting domestic fuel requirements.
The new MoU includes cooperation in biofuels, covering areas such as knowledge sharing, research and training.
Mauritius is a founding member of the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), which was launched during India’s G20 Presidency.
Under the GBA’s country engagement programme, its secretariat has partnered with Mauritius’ Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities to develop a Biofuels Country Landscape Policy framework.
Puri and Assirvaden jointly witnessed the launch of the framework on August 21.
The initiative could help Mauritius explore the potential role of biofuels in its broader energy transition while creating opportunities for India-Mauritius cooperation in technology, skills and policy development.
The latest agreements extend India-Mauritius cooperation beyond traditional diplomatic and economic engagement into long-term energy security and emerging clean-energy opportunities.
For Mauritius, the five-year petroleum supply agreement offers assured access to essential fuels. For India, it strengthens the country’s position as a dependable refined-fuel supplier and deepens its strategic engagement with an important Indian Ocean partner.
The combination of conventional petroleum supplies, marine fuel infrastructure and biofuels cooperation also reflects a broader approach to building a resilient and diversified energy partnership.
