New Delhi | August 22, 2026 | INFRAINTEL Bureau
(The Financial World)
India and Mauritius have expanded their energy partnership through a five-year agreement under which Indian Oil Corporation will supply the island country’s entire import requirement of petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel.
The long-term sales and purchase agreement between Indian Oil Corporation and Mauritius’ State Trading Corporation is intended to provide assured supplies and reduce the island nation’s exposure to volatility in international fuel markets.
The agreement was exchanged during Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s official visit to Mauritius on August 20 and 21. The two governments also exchanged a memorandum of understanding to broaden cooperation in oil and gas, petroleum supplies, training, capacity building and biofuels.
According to the petroleum ministry, this is the first long-term overseas supply agreement concluded by an Indian public-sector oil marketing company outside South Asia in recent years. It makes India the principal supplier of motor spirit, high-speed diesel and aviation turbine fuel to Mauritius.
The arrangement has been concluded at a time when countries are seeking greater protection against disruptions in global fuel markets, particularly amid continuing instability in West Asia.
India operates 23 refineries and produces about 267 million tonnes of refined petroleum products annually. As a net exporter of refined fuels, it already supplies Nepal and Bhutan and exports substantial volumes to other regional and international markets.
The ministry said India had continued to meet its commitments to Nepal and Bhutan during the ongoing West Asia crisis. That record is being presented as evidence of India’s reliability as a regional energy supplier.
During the visit, Puri met Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam and held discussions with senior Mauritian ministers responsible for energy, commerce and foreign affairs.
Puri and Mauritian Energy and Public Utilities Minister Patrick Gervais Assirvaden also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for Indian Oil (Mauritius) Limited’s proposed 27,500-tonne marine bunker-fuel storage facility at Mer Rouge in Port Louis.
The facility is expected to strengthen Mauritius’ marine-fuel infrastructure and expand India’s role in the island nation’s downstream energy supply chain.
The broader memorandum also covers cooperation in biofuels through research, training and knowledge exchange. Mauritius is a founding member of the India-led Global Biofuels Alliance.
The two sides witnessed the launch of a Biofuels Country Landscape Policy framework on August 21. The framework has been developed through cooperation between the Global Biofuels Alliance Secretariat and Mauritius’ Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities.
The agreements move the bilateral relationship beyond periodic fuel shipments towards a structured partnership covering energy security, storage infrastructure, human-capacity development and alternative fuels. They also strengthen India’s strategic and economic presence in the Indian Ocean region.