Following an invitation from the President of Seychelles, H.E. Dr Patrick Herminie, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has concluded a three-day state visit to Seychelles from 27 to 29 June, 2026. While PM Modi was invited as the Guest of Honour for the 50th Independence anniversary of Seychelles, this visit also coincided with the completion of 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Seychelles. On this occasion, the prime minister addressed the National Assembly of Seychelles, where he was also honoured with ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’. Amid the various outcomes of the visit, lies a more fundamental question – ‘Why does Seychelles matter for India and how does it contribute to India’s Indo-Pacific architecture?’

The Indo-Pacific is the new geopolitical theatre of the 21st century, with maritime security, economic interdependence, and strategic partnerships determining regional order politics. The region, which roughly stretches from the eastern coast of Africa to the Pacific Ocean, is crucial for strategic calculations of both regional and extra-regional powers since it contributes to global trade, energy flows and economic activity. In this changing strategic landscape, small island states have become crucial players, with Seychelles serving as a prime example of how strategically located states, despite their small geographical size, can shape regional security and influence the geopolitics of the region.

Answered simply, the first and foremost reason why Seychelles matters for India is its geopolitical location. As an archipelago of 115 islands, Seychelles lies in the western Indian Ocean with proximity to the Horn of Africa region, overlooking various maritime chokepoints and busiest maritime routes, such as the Mozambique Channel and Bab-el Mandeb. And even though Seychelles is the least populated country in Africa, the island nation has a vast exclusive economic zone considering its large coastline, making it extremely significant from a strategic perspective. The much-talked-about Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) surround the island group, upholding its relevance for trade, economy, and energy security as well as for strategic and military reasons.

Secondly, Seychelles is vital for India’s maritime interests in the Indian Ocean Region and a key pillar in India’s maritime strategy. On one hand, India’s cooperation with Seychelles complements India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision; the recently exchanged agreements and MOUs across various domains from finance, capacity building, healthcare, agriculture, shipping, space, etc. demonstrate more comprehensive engagement through India’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision announced in March 2025. It also supports India’s objective to become a net security provider in the Indian Ocean. Moreover, the location of this island nation places India in a better position to operationalise surveillance against piracy and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and drug trafficking across critical trade lanes and to fight against maritime terrorism. Despite being a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Seychelles is a high-income country with various opportunities for India to advance its maritime objectives, advance sustainable development and partner for a blue economy.

Most importantly, Seychelles can prove significant for India in order to address China’s increasing assertiveness in the maritime sphere in general and, in this case, the Indian Ocean region. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the String of Pearls strategy showcase China’s strategy of expansion and its attempt to create regional dominance. This can be witnessed in attempts made by Beijing to expand its footprint through roads, ports, and infrastructure projects, which have created a strategic competition in the region. While Seychelles maintains a balanced foreign policy amidst the tensions among the two powerful players in the region, for New Delhi the major challenge would be to ensure that Seychelles prefers India as a long-time strategic partner that extends beyond episodic outreach.

Other than security, India and Seychelles must continue to cooperate and coordinate to accomplish sustainable oceanic governance and to secure objectives of a blue economy. In this scenario, Seychelles has a lot to offer, where it can provide its expertise in achieving sustainability and fisheries management, since it is considered a global leader in the field of the blue economy. Presently, the two nations already partner to achieve hydrographic efforts for a blue-economy-led growth. In fact, earlier this year, in February, when the president of Seychelles visited India for a state visit, the Joint Vision of the two countries clearly outlined and announced that Seychelles will establish a Seychelles Hydrographic Unit (SHU) with assistance and inputs from India. Efforts must be sustained to this end. Furthermore, the island nation can prove vital for India to establish and expand its Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), possible through joint patrols and coordination of maritime authorities. Coordination between both countries can lead to success against many non-traditional security threats too.

So far, while the dominant discourse on the Indo-Pacific has focused on major powers such as the United States, China, Japan, and Australia, the importance of small island developing states such as the Seychelles is rapidly gaining prominence. Despite its small geographical size, the state of Seychelles makes a substantive contribution across various domains – from maritime security, sustainable ocean governance, blue economy, and climate adaptation to regional connectivity. Recognising Seychelles’ strategic and development significance, New Delhi must continue to invest in this historic partnership through diplomatic efforts, political engagement and sustained cooperation. This attempt will strengthen the bilateral relationship between India and Seychelles while also contributing to the strategic objectives of India’s Indo-Pacific vision.