This article outlines the diplomatic relationship between India and Seychelles: how ties were established, the high-level and ministerial visits in both directions, and the agreements and memoranda of understanding the two governments have signed. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of June 2026.

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, India's bilateral engagement with Seychelles is characterised by historical contacts and India's continuous support to Seychelles for its security and development. The brief states that India-Seychelles relations today embody "close friendship, understanding and cooperation".

During the British colonial period, Seychelles was governed from the Bombay Presidency for some time. The brief notes that there were regular shipping links in that period, with a flow of goods and essential commodities from India.

Diplomatic ties were established with Seychelles after its independence in 1976.

Visits from India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an official visit to Seychelles on 10-11 March 2015. The brief records it as the first Prime Ministerial level visit from India in 34 years. Its outcomes included the signing of four Agreements/MoUs, the inauguration of the Coastal Surveillance Radar System (CRS) Project and the announcement that a second Dornier aircraft would be gifted to Seychelles.

Prime Minister Modi made a State Visit to Seychelles from 27-29 June 2026. He held talks with President Dr. Patrick Herminie in Victoria, became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the National Assembly of Seychelles, and MoUs and agreements including on UPI, space, extradition and a Line of Credit of INR 1250 crores were exchanged.

The Vice President of India, Shri C P Radhakrishnan, visited Seychelles on 26-27 October 2025 to attend the swearing in ceremony of the newly-elected President of the Republic of Seychelles, Dr. Patrick Herminie. Earlier high-level visits from India listed in the brief are:

  • Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi (1976 and 1981)
  • President Shri R. Venkataraman (1989)
  • Vice-President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma (1991)
  • Vice-President Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (2003)
  • President Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil (2012)

At ministerial level, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visited Seychelles in November 2020. Earlier ministerial visits included those of External Affairs Minister Shri S. M. Krishna and Defence Minister Shri A.K. Antony, both in July 2010.

Other Indian delegations have included an 8-member delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Hon'ble Sumitra Mahajan, which attended the 24th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), hosted by Seychelles from 8-13 January 2018. The Chief Election Commissioner led a delegation to Seychelles in September 2023 to sign an MoU with the Electoral Commission of Seychelles. Shri Girish Chandra Murmu, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, visited in October 2024 to sign an MoU with the Auditor General of Seychelles.

Visits from Seychelles

President Dr. Patrick Herminie paid a State Visit to India from 5-10 February 2026, accompanied by First Lady Mrs Veronique Herminie and 7 Cabinet Ministers. He visited Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi, and in Chennai he visited the National centre for Sustainable Coastal management (NCSCM).

In New Delhi, President Herminie was accorded a Ceremonial Welcome and held comprehensive discussions with Prime Minister Modi on 9 February, at which the entire gamut of bilateral relations was reviewed. A Joint Vision Statement for Sustainability, Economic Growth and Security through Enhanced Linkages (SESEL) was adopted, and the setting up of a Seychelles Hydrographic Unit with Indian assistance was announced. He also attended a banquet hosted in his honour by the President of India.

The Vice President of Seychelles, H.E. Mr Sebastien Pillay, visited India from 16-22 February 2026 to attend the India Global AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. He held a bilateral meeting with Minister of State Mr. Jitin Prasada, called on Vice President Mr. C P Radhakrishnan and met teams from NDRF, NBCC, C-DAC, Direct Benefit Transfer and Gati Shakti.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, H.E. Mr Barry Faure, attended the 11th Edition of Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi (March 05-07) and met External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar. He met the External Affairs Minister again during the 9th Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius (April 10-12). The brief gives these dates without a year.

Former Vice President H.E. Mr Ahmed Afif attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9 June 2024. He met the President, the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister on the sidelines of the event.

Earlier visits from Seychelles

President France Albert Rene visited India in 1980, 1986 and 1990. James Alix Michel visited as Vice-President in 1994, 1996 and 1999, and as President in July 2005, June 2010, February 2011, February 2012 and August 2015.

A 12-member Seychelles National Assembly delegation led by Speaker Patrick Pillay visited India from 9-13 August 2017. It interacted with the Lok Sabha Speaker and called on the President, the Prime Minister and the Vice-President of India. President Wavel Ramkalawan, while leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, attended the PIO (Person of Indian Origin) Parliamentarians Conference in January 2018.

The then President Danny Faure visited India twice in 2018: in March for the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance, and in June for a State Visit. As Vice President, he had attended the 14th edition of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi in February 2014.

Ministerial and official visits since 2023

In November 2023, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Mr. Sylvestre Radegonde, visited India for bilateral discussions, his first visit to India as Foreign Minister. He held comprehensive discussions with the External Affairs Minister, and two MoUs were signed. Other visits recorded in the brief include:

  • Former Minister Flavien Joubert took part in all three virtual Voice of Global South Summits (VOGSS), in January 2023, November 2023 and August 2024.
  • Minister for Internal Affairs Mr. Errol Fonseka, on the invitation of Dr. S. Jaishankar, took part in the 6th and 7th editions of the Indian Ocean Conference, in Dhaka in May 2023 and in Perth in February 2024.
  • Attorney General Mr. Frank Ally attended the 1st Regional Conference on Access to Legal Aid (November 27-28, 2023) and the CLEA Attorney and Solicitors Generals Conference 2024 (CASGC'24) in New Delhi (February 2-4, 2024).
  • Electoral Commission Chairperson Danny Lucas and Commissioner Norlis Rose-Hoareau were among 75 representatives from 23 countries who observed the organisation of India's general elections by the Election Commission of India from 5-7 May 2024.
  • Minister of Land and Housing Billy Rangasamy represented Seychelles at the Kumbh Global Summit for Sustainability and Development at Prayagraj in February 2025.
  • Minister of Health Dr. Marvin Fanny took part in the 2nd Edition of the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicines in New Delhi, 17-19 December 2025.

Agreements and MoUs

The brief states that several bilateral agreements/MOUs have been signed. Earlier ones it lists include the MOU on Defence Cooperation (2003), the MOU on Science and Technology (2003), the MOU for setting up of an Information Technology Centre in Seychelles (February 2010) and the MOU on Police Research & Training (April-May 2012).

The four MOUs/Agreements signed during Prime Minister Modi's visit in March 2015 were:

  • Renewable Energy Cooperation
  • MOU for Cooperation in the field of Hydrography
  • Protocol on Sale of Navigational Charts / Electronic Navigational Charts
  • Agreement on the Development of Facilities on Assumption Island

The agreements signed during the State visit of the then President James Michel in August 2015 included a MoU for gifting a second Dornier Maritime Aircraft, a MoU between ICAR and Seychelles Agricultural Agency for Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Education, and a Protocol on Framework of Cooperation in the field of Blue Economy.

During the 1st State Visit of the then President Danny Faure in June 2018, 6 agreements/MOUs were signed:

  • White Shipping data Agreement
  • MOU on Cyber Security (2018)
  • MoU on Small Development Projects
  • MOU between the Foreign Service Institute India and the Department of Foreign Affairs of Seychelles
  • Cultural Exchange Program for the years 2018-2022
  • Twinning Agreement between the Corporation of the City of Panaji (Municipal Corporation) and the City of Victoria of the Republic of Seychelles

More recent instruments are the MoU for Cooperation in the field of Electoral Management and Administration (September 2023) and the MoU for Cooperation in the field of Public Sector Audit (October 2024). During President Herminie's State Visit in February 2026, 7 MoUs were signed in areas including health/pharma, marine science, food security, culture, capacity building and digital transformation.