India and Seychelles on Sunday, 28 June signed a clutch of bilateral agreements spanning trade, digital technology, agriculture, and maritime cooperation, following summit-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Seychelles President Patrick Herminie at the State House in Victoria. The pacts were concluded during Modi's three-day State Visit to the Indian Ocean nation — his first — which coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Key Agreements Signed

The centrepiece financial commitment is an umbrella line of credit of ₹1,250 crore between the Export-Import Bank of India and Seychelles' Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, Trade and Investment. This sits within a broader Special Economic Package of $175 million — comprising $125 million in a rupee-denominated line of credit and $50 million in grant assistance — directed at priority projects in social housing, e-mobility, vocational training, health, defence, and maritime security.

Additional pacts covered cooperation in agricultural research and education, mutual recognition of training and certification for seafarers serving on Seychelles-flagged vessels, and collaboration in the peaceful exploration of outer space. The two sides also agreed to begin preliminary work on establishing a new Seychelles National Hospital.

What Prime Minister Modi Announced

Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to deepening the bilateral relationship, proposing direct shipping links, increased trade in local currencies, and greater connectivity to promote trade and tourism. He announced the gifting of six ambulances, access to affordable medicines under India's Janaushadhi Scheme, and training for Seychellois medical personnel.

India also committed to sports training, youth exchange programmes, and promoting Seychelles as a creative and filming destination. New Delhi extended humanitarian and development assistance through the supply of 500 metric tonnes of rice and 8,500 metric tonnes of cement.

Joint Initiatives and Groundbreakings

Both leaders participated in the virtual groundbreaking of the India-assisted Professional and Technical Education Centre and jointly inaugurated three solar water pumping systems under the International Solar Alliance. They also unveiled a commemorative logo marking 50 years of India-Seychelles diplomatic ties.

President Herminie reaffirmed progress in implementing the Joint Vision for Sustainability, Economic Growth and Security through Enhanced Linkages (SESEL), adopted in February 2025. He highlighted food security, parliamentary cooperation, and the strengthening of historic ties as key areas of focus.

Strategic Significance for the Indian Ocean Region

This comes amid India's sustained effort to deepen its footprint across the Indian Ocean Island states, where China has also been expanding infrastructure investments. Seychelles' strategic location — astride key maritime trade routes — makes the defence and maritime security components of the package particularly significant. Notably, this is Modi's first visit to Seychelles as Prime Minister, and his attendance as Guest of Honour at the country's National Day celebrations underscores the symbolic weight New Delhi is placing on the relationship.

The breadth of Sunday's agreements — from outer space cooperation to local currency trade — signals a deliberate effort to embed the partnership across multiple sectors, reducing its dependence on any single pillar.