9th Indian Ocean Conference – 10 to 12 April 2026

Key facts

• The 9th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC 2026) was inaugurated in Port Louis, Mauritius and will run from 10 to 12 April 2026.
• The conference is organised by India Foundation in association with the Government of Mauritius under the theme “Collective Stewardship for Indian Ocean Governance.”
• Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session.
• External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar delivered the keynote address.
• Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi also addressed the session.
• On 9 April, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar met Mauritius Prime Minister Ramgoolam and President Dharambeer Gokhool, conveying greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• A Letter of Exchange on a Special Economic Package was signed, reaffirming India’s commitment to Mauritius’ infrastructure development, health and security.
• Eleven India-supported High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) were inaugurated across Mauritius covering sustainable development, energy, sports and infrastructure.
• The iGOT Karmayogi portal, India’s flagship civil services capacity‑building platform, was launched exclusively for Mauritian civil servants – the first such launch for any partner country.
• University Grants Commission of India (UGC) and the Higher Education Commission of Mauritius exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding.
• A royalty cheque of USD 45,000 was handed over to Mauritius for the sale of nautical charts.
• A Renal Transplant Unit was inaugurated at the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Mauritius.
• An AYUSH Centre of Excellence is slated for completion in Mauritius.
• The final lot of e‑buses was handed over to support sustainable public transport in Mauritius.
• An Indian public sector enterprise is developing Mauritius’ first floating solar power project.
• India will soon appoint a Defence Attaché in Mauritius – the first Defence Attaché for the country.
• A Government‑to‑Government agreement for the supply of oil and gas to Mauritius is in its final stages.
• On the sidelines, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar met Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Seychelles Foreign Minister Barry Faure, former Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Bhutan’s Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel and Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal.
• The conference aligns with India’s Neighbourhood First policy, Vision MAHASAGAR, and the Global South commitment.