VICTORIA — Building on a diplomatic partnership spanning half a century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the National Assembly of Seychelles, making history as the first Indian head of government to speak before the legislative body. The address marked the Golden Jubilee of Seychelles’ Independence, providing a platform for India to detail its long-term strategic, environmental, and technological commitments to the Indian Ocean region.
The Prime Minister’s address positioned Seychelles as a critical anchor in India’s ocean policy, emphasizing mutual security and digital public cooperation.
The Strategic Leap: From Small Islands to ‘Large Ocean Countries’
A core theme of the address was the transformation of traditional maritime definitions. Prime Minister Modi challenged the global classification of island territories, asserting that Seychelles’ vast 1.4 million square kilometer economic zone establishes it firmly as a Large Ocean Country rather than a small island state.
Defensive and Ocean Security Matrix:
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The MAHASAGAR Doctrine: The Prime Minister tied bilateral operations to the updated MAHASAGAR framework (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), emphasizing that the security and economic stability of India and Seychelles are completely interdependent.
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Naval Presence: To honor the 50-year defense alliance—which began with INS Nilgiri’s presence at the 1976 independence ceremony—India’s modern naval vessels, INS Tarkash and INS Ikshak, were deployed to Port Victoria for the celebration.
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Operational Training: Pointing out that nearly 2% of the Seychellois population (1 in every 50 people) has undergone professional training or higher education in India, the PM committed to expanding specialized programs for the Seychelles Defence Forces and Coast Guard.
Environmental Diplomacy and Climate Responsibility
Having been conferred the “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” award by Seychelles President Herminie for sustained environmental advocacy, Modi utilized the legislative platform to demand equitable global climate policies.
“Climate action must be guided by fairness, responsibility, and equity. Those who have contributed the least to climate change should not bear the greatest burden of its consequences. This is the essence of climate justice.” — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
He emphasized that India’s domestic green expansions, such as Mission LiFE and the International Solar Alliance, serve as ready toolkits to shield Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from rising sea levels and volatile weather patterns.
Exporting Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to the Creole Frontier
Tracing people-to-people ties back to the 1770 voyage of the ship Thelemaque, which brought the first Indian families to Saint Anne Island, the Prime Minister highlighted how deeply Indian heritage has integrated into Creole culture.
For the next phase of bilateral growth, India proposed a heavy shift toward technological infrastructure:
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DPI Integration: India offered its complete Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) stack to Seychelles to help transition its public services, enhance digital financial inclusion, and streamline governance.
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Youth Innovation Support: This digital framework is intended to actively support Seychelles’ newly launched IGNITE youth internship program, giving the next generation of Seychellois professionals direct access to top-tier technical training.
