Context:  

Recently, the first team of Indian “technical personnel” reached Male, Maldives to replace Indian military personnel.

India’s Strategic Moves: Military Personnel Shift in Maldives and Infrastructure Boost in Mauritius

• Maldives:
  

• The first team of Indian technical personnel to replace the Military personnel had arrived in Maldives
  • India to pull out its  80-odd military personnel stationed in the Maldives.

• Mauritius: 

• An  India built airstrip and a jetty was inaugurated at the Agaléga islands
  • India and Mauritius signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the “improvement in sea and air transportation facilities” at Agaléga island in 2015.

Strategic Significance of  Mauritius for India

• Build close military capabilities: Indian assistance aims to enhance the capabilities of the Mauritian Defence Forces with  improved logistics and maritime patrol capabilities on the island. 
  • India has a strategic angle to the project as it would be allowed to use the facilities “subject to prior notification” of Mauritius.
• India as the Net security provider for the Region:  Mauritius due to its location can assist India in a response to counter-piracy, terrorism, narcotics and human trafficking, and illegal and unregulated fishing
  • Mauritius was admitted as a member of the Colombo Security Conclave, a regional grouping focused on maritime security that consists of India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives
• Trade and Tourism: Mauritius is one of the biggest FDI originating countries for India with a   cumulative FDI worth USD 161 billion in  the two decades from 2000 – 2022 (26% of total FDI inflows into India). It is also a major tourist destination for Indians
• To counter Chinese presence in the Region: China has its overseas military facility in the Indian Ocean in Djibouti which is quite close to mauritius. Therefore India through its assets can keep an eye on Chinese activities in the area.

Strategic Significance of  Maldives for India: 

• Effective monitoring: India shares its Exclusive Economic Zone with Maldives thus enhancing and effective monitoring of the entire region will help to maximise their resource sourcing and extraction potential.
• Strategic Location: It is geographically positioned like a ‘toll gate’ between the western Indian Ocean chokepoints of the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz on the one hand, and the eastern Indian Ocean chokepoint of the Strait of Malacca on the other.
• Maldives as India’s Backyard: China has moved swiftly to increase their influence in the Island nation playing the Anti India narrative of domestic politics which is perceived as Chinese access to India’s backyard
  • Example: The docking of the Chinese research submarine in Maldives while India is asked to remove its military personnel
• Cooperation and collaboration: Maldives is a member of SAARC and IORA groupings etc  and it is important for India to have Maldives on board to maintain its leadership in the region. 
  • Example: Maldives was reluctant to follow India’s call for boycott of the SAARC summit in Pakistan after the Uri attack.
  • Example: India, Sri lanka and Maldives participating in the Dosti Exercise together
• Ensuring Safety and Security of Indian Diaspora: Indian expatriate community in the Maldives has an approximate strength of 27,000 living peacefully with Maldivians and other expatriates, with no major issues being faced by them. 

News source: The Indian Express