India-Seychelles Defence Partnership: How the Strategic Alliance Is Strengthening Security in the Indian Ocean

The India-Seychelles defense partnership has been emerged as the key pillar of maritime security in the Indian Ocean region (IOR). As the Seychelles is the small island nation but its strategic location along with the major international sea lanes makes it an important partner in to ensuring the regional stability, secure maritime trade and a rules-based order at sea. Over the period of the years India and Seychelles have expanded their cooperation beyond defense to include the maritime surveillance, capacity building, healthcare, technology, disaster management and sustainable development

Why Is Seychelles Strategically Important for India?

Seychelles is the island nation which is located in the western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. Despite the its small geographical size, it occupies the strategic position near some of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.

Nearly a significant portion of the global maritime commerce and energy shipments passes through the Indian Ocean which makes this region vital for international trade.

For India, Seychelles is important because it helps to,

Enhance maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean.
Protect key Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs).
Combats the piracy, illegal fishing and maritime crimes.
Strengthen regional security and stability.
Support India’s strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific.

India-Seychelles Defence Partnership

India and Seychelles shares the long-standing defence relationship built on trust, cooperation and mutual security interests.

The partnership focuses on to strengthening the Seychelles maritime capabilities while promoting the peace and stability across the Indian Ocean.

Key areas of defence cooperation includes the,

Maritime Security

Both countries work together to improve the surveillance of territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).

Joint efforts help address challenges such as,

Piracy
Illegal fishing
Maritime smuggling
Human trafficking
Transnational organised crime
Maritime terrorism

Naval Cooperation

The Indian Navy also regularly engages with the Seychelles through,

Joint naval exercises
Port visits
Maritime patrols
Training programmes
Technical assistance

India has also supported the Seychelles by supplying the multiple defense equipment, patrol vessels, and capacity-building assistance to strengthen the its coastal security.