Narendra Modi is due to arrive in Mauritius on Tuesday at the start of visits to three Indian Ocean island nations, as part of a charm offensive aimed at repairing long-neglected regional alliances and grappling with China’s rising influence in India’s backyard.
The Indian prime minister’s five-day trip, which will include stops in the Seychelles and Sri Lanka this week, marks his latest attempt to craft a more muscular foreign policy since taking power last May, notably by offering greater financial and military aid to smaller neighbours.