The President of the Republic of Seychelles, His Excellency Dr. Patrick Herminie, arrived in Mumbai today, marking the next leg of his Official State Visit to the Republic of India, following a successful two-day programme in Chennai.
Earlier in the day, President Herminie participated in the India–Seychelles Business Roundtable, organised by the Government of India in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The high-level forum brought together senior Indian government officials, including India’s Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, alongside private sector leaders representing a broad range of industries.
Addressing the gathering, President Herminie reaffirmed Seychelles’ deep pride in its long-standing friendship with India, a relationship built on cooperation, guided by a shared vision for growth, and anchored in strong people-to-people ties shaped by history.
The President highlighted Seychelles’ commitment to a forward-looking and dynamic partnership with India, one that not only supports economic growth in both countries but also unlocks new opportunities for innovation, investment, and sustainable development. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Seychelles, he noted, holds great respect for India as the world’s fourth-largest economy and for the remarkable progress it has achieved in recent decades.
“There is much that Seychelles can learn from India’s experience as we continue our own journey toward sustainable growth and prosperity,” President Herminie stated. He emphasised that the Business Roundtable served as a critical bridge between vision and action, expressing hope that the platform would translate goodwill into enterprise, dialogue into investment, and partnership into tangible benefits for the peoples of both nations.
In his opening remarks, the Seychelles Minister for Finance, Economic Planning, Trade and Investment, Mr. Pierre Laporte, outlined Seychelles’ strategic priorities and investment opportunities across key sectors. These include the digital economy and digital government, tourism and hospitality, the financial sector and fintech, the creative and film industries, and the blue economy. He also highlighted the strength of the Indian diaspora in Seychelles, estimated at approximately 5,000 people, as a vital cultural
and economic link between the two countries.
The primary objective of the roundtable was to position Seychelles as an attractive, stable, and reliable investment destination, while engaging Indian business leaders on both existing and emerging opportunities. Key areas of focus included tourism, digital transformation, the blue economy, agriculture, renewable energy, wastewater management, marine infrastructure, construction, and solar-based solutions.
From the Indian side, participants from diverse sectors expressed strong interest in investment opportunities in health services, logistics, shipping and ports, energy, tourism, trade, and the blue economy, sectors that align closely with Seychelles’ national development priorities. India’s current position as the world’s fourth-largest economy, its status as the fastest-growing major economy with projected growth of 6–7 percent, and its anticipated rise to the world’s third-largest economy by 2027–2028 hold particular significance for a Small Island Developing State such as Seychelles. These realities further underscore the strategic importance of deepening economic ties and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships between the two nations.