PM Modi, Mauritius counterpart to jointly inaugurate new airstrip, jetty, community projects in island nation this Thursday

Feb 27, 2024

New Delhi [India], February 27 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth will jointly inaugurate the new Airstrip and St. James Jetty along with six community development projects at the Agalega Island in Mauritius via video conferencing on Thursday.
As per a PMO release, the inauguration of these projects is a testimony to the robust and decades-old development partnership between India and Mauritius.
The projects will fulfil the demand for better connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega, strengthen maritime security and foster socio-economic development.
The inauguration of these projects is significant as it follows the recent launch of UPI and RuPay Card services in Mauritius by the two leaders on February 12, 2024.
India's instant payment technology service, the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), was launched in Mauritius in a virtual event that was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth.
UPI is India's mobile-based fast payment system, which facilitates customers to make round-the-clock payments instantly, using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) created by the customer. So far, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, France, UAE, and Singapore have partnered with India on emerging fintech and payment solutions.
Also, RuPay card services were also launched in Mauritius that same day.
The extension of RuPay card services in Mauritius will enable Mauritian banks to issue cards based on RuPay mechanism in Mauritius and facilitate usage of RuPay Card for settlements both in India and Mauritius.
India, which has emerged as a leader in fintech innovation and Digital Public Infrastructure placed a strong emphasis on sharing its development experiences and innovation with partner countries.
Given India's robust cultural and people-to-people linkages with Mauritius, the launch is expected to benefit a wide cross-section of people through a faster and seamless digital transaction experience and enhance digital connectivity between the countries.