India and Mauritius have strengthened their energy partnership with a five-year agreement under which Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will supply Mauritius with its entire import requirement of petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF).
The agreement between IOC and Mauritius' State Trading Corporation (STC) was exchanged during Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's August 20-21 visit to the island nation.
The long-term arrangement is aimed at ensuring predictable fuel supplies for Mauritius while reducing its exposure to volatility and disruptions in global energy markets.
The government said the agreement is the first long-term overseas supply arrangement concluded by an Indian public-sector oil marketing company outside South Asia in recent years. India, which has emerged as a major refining hub, produces around 267 million tonnes of petroleum products annually through 23 refineries and remains a net exporter of refined fuels.
Broader India-Mauritius Energy Cooperation
Alongside the fuel agreement, India and Mauritius exchanged a government-to-government memorandum of understanding covering wider cooperation in oil and gas.
The framework includes petroleum product supplies, technical training, capacity building and collaboration on biofuels.
The partnership is also being supported by investments in energy infrastructure.
Puri and Mauritius' Energy and Public Utilities Minister Patrick Gervais Assirvaden participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for a 27,500-tonne marine bunker fuel storage facility being developed by India Oil (Mauritius) Ltd at Mer Rouge in Port Louis.
The facility is expected to enhance Mauritius' marine-fuel infrastructure and strengthen India's role in the country's energy supply chain.
The two countries are also expanding cooperation on alternative fuels. Mauritius is a founding member of the Global Biofuels Alliance, an India-led initiative launched during India's G20 presidency. The alliance has partnered with Mauritius to develop a national biofuels policy framework.
The latest agreements broaden India's engagement with Mauritius from fuel exports to a wider partnership covering energy security, infrastructure, skills development and the transition towards cleaner fuels.
