Victoria: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 28, Sunday held bilateral-level talks with Seychelles President Patrick Herminie as part of his three-day state visit to the East African island nation, aimed at further strengthening the longstanding bilateral partnership between the two countries. PM Modi recieved ceremonial Guard of Honour at Seychelles’ State House earlier in the day. The Prime Minister was received at the venue by President Herminie, where both leaders participated in formal ceremonial proceedings reflecting the close diplomatic ties between India and Seychelles.
List of outcomes (19 in total) : State Visit of PM @narendramodi to Seychelles ⬇️
🇮🇳 🇸🇨 pic.twitter.com/XKdgODbIZr
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 28, 2026
PM Modi highlights USD 175mn Special Economic Package(SEP) to Seychelles
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to further strengthening its long-standing development partnership with Seychelles while expanding bilateral cooperation across strategic, economic and high-technology sectors. PM Modi highlighted the announcement of India’s Special Economic Package (SEP) worth USD 175 million, which was announced during President Herminie’s visit to India earlier this year.
He described the developmental partnership as the “defining feature” of India-Seychelles bilateral relations and reiterated that India’s approach remains focused on the priorities and aspirations of its partner countries. “During the President’s visit to India, we announced a special economic package of $175 million. Under this initiative, work is being carried out in sectors such as social housing, transport, skill development, food security, education and defense”, PM Modi said.
Regarding the virtual groundbreaking for a new Professional and Technical Centre in Seychelles, Prime Minister Modi expressed his belief that this centre will significantly elevate the employability, skills and self-confidence of the youth of the East African island nation. The SEP comprises USD 125 million in a rupee-denominated Line of Credit and USD 50 million in grant assistance.
Held wide-ranging discussions with Dr. Patrick Herminie at the State House earlier this morning. My visit is taking place at a historic moment when Seychelles is completing 50 years of its Independence and we are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations… pic.twitter.com/PteenYCHcC
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 28, 2026
Cooperation in healthcare, climate action, space, maritime security & connectivity
Highlighting the enduring cooperation between the two countries in the healthcare sector, PM Modi said the partnership had stood “the test of time”, recalling India’s support through vaccine supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. To further this cooperation, he also announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the ‘Jan Aushadhi’ initiative, which aims to make quality and affordable medicines accessible to the people of Seychelles. “We will continue our efforts to further strengthen medical care in Seychelles through capacity building and training”, PM Modi stated.
Strategic cooperation remains a cornerstone of the two nations’ bilateral relationship, with Prime Minister Modi affirming that the defence and security of India and Seychelles are “inextricably linked”. He affirmed that the bilateral agenda is also expanding to various sectors, including energy and climate action, blue economy and space. “We will continue to collaborate in new areas of clean energy, including green hydrogen. The blue economy is a natural and strategic area of our relationship. We will share India’s expertise in ocean observation, marine science and coastal management with Seychelles”, PM Modi affirmed.
Digital connectivity & UPI in Seychelles
PM Modi also highlighted the growing importance of digital connectivity in strengthening the bilateral engagement and welcomed the signing of an MoU for the implementation of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Seychelles. “Efforts will also be made to enhance connectivity between India and Seychelles; this will not only boost our trade but also strengthen ties with East Africa and the Indian Ocean region. We believe that digital technology is an effective means to bridge the distance between our two countries. We will share India’s successful experiences in digital public infrastructure with Seychelles, and I am pleased that an MoU is being signed today to implement UPI in Seychelles”, PM Modi reiterated.
Seychelles an undeniable partner in the Indian Ocean Region & key pillar of MAHASAGAR vision
Seychelles President Patrick Herminie said that the East African island nation reaffirmed its special place in India’s MAHASAGAR vision while welcoming discussions on the announcement of India’s Special Economic Package (SEP) worth USD 175 million. President Herminie said maritime security in the Indian Ocean remains central to the bilateral relationship between the two countries. “We affirmed our commitment to counter piracy, drug trafficking, illegal fishing and cross-border crime”, Herminie added.
The Seychelles President acknowledged India’s continued support in strengthening the country’s maritime capabilities through surveillance, hydrography and defence capacity building, particularly through the refit of PS Zoroaster and the gifting of the fast attack vessel PS Lespwar to the Seychelles Coast Guard.
MAHASAGAR is India’s expanded vision for the Global South, standing for “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions”. It builds on the earlier SAGAR framework and goes a step further by broadening cooperation beyond the immediate region to a more global scale. The vision focuses on promoting trade for development, strengthening capacity building for sustainable growth and ensuring mutual security for a shared future.
Indian Ocean should revolutionise as an ocean of opportunities: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that New Delhi envisions such an Indian Ocean where maritime security is ensured alongside economic prosperity and partnership is not based on size, but on mutual respect and trust. “Our vision is to make the Indian Ocean into an Ocean of Opportunity”, PM Modi added.
“We believe the Indian Ocean is our shared home; its security, sustainability and prosperity are our shared responsibility. This sentiment forms the foundation of our MAHASAGAR vision”, PM Modi added. Unveiled by PM Modi in March 2025, the MAHASAGAR vision is India’s expanded global maritime doctrine. It shifts India’s maritime focus from a purely local Indian Ocean context to a comprehensive, global outreach designed to champion the cause of Global South with an aim to strengthen ties with smaller states, enhancing maritime domain awareness and curbing illegal activities.
PM Modi said that the Joint Vision for Sustainability, Economic Growth and Security through Enhanced Linkages (SESEL) adopted during President Herminie’s visit to India earlier this year serves as a blueprint for “future partnership” between the two nations.
(With Inputs from ANI)
