India, Mauritius seal five-year fuel supply agreement

India and Mauritius have formalised a comprehensive energy partnership with the signing of a five-year fuel supply agreement that positions Indian Oil Corporation as the sole supplier of the island nation's petroleum products.

The accord was finalised during Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's official visit to Mauritius on August 20-21. The sales and purchase agreement between IOC and Mauritius's State Trading Corporation encompasses petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel, providing the island with supply certainty while insulating it from volatile international energy markets.

Simultaneously, India and Mauritius signed a government-to-government memorandum of understanding to broaden their energy cooperation beyond fuel supplies. The accord covers training initiatives, capacity building programmes and collaboration in biofuels development, reflecting the deepening bilateral relationship in the energy sector.

The pact marks a significant milestone for Indian public-sector oil marketing enterprises, representing the first long-term fuel supply agreement concluded outside South Asia in recent years. The arrangement underscores India's expanding role in providing energy security to strategic partners in the Indian Ocean, a region of considerable geopolitical and economic importance.