India has moved to deepen its energy footprint in the Indian Ocean region with a five-year agreement to supply Mauritius’ entire import requirement of petrol, high-speed diesel and aviation turbine fuel, positioning New Delhi as the island nation’s anchor fuel supplier.The agreement was signed during Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s official visit to Mauritius on August 20-21.In the presence of Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, India and Mauritius exchanged a government-to-government memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the oil and gas sector, alongside a long-term sales and purchase agreement between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Mauritius’ State Trading Corporation (STC).The development comes amid heightened global energy uncertainties and volatility in fuel markets.Under the five-year agreement, IOCL will supply Mauritius’ entire import requirement of Motor Spirit, High Speed Diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel, providing the country an assured source of supplies and greater protection against price volatility.The agreement is also significant for India as it marks the first long-term overseas supply arrangement by an Indian public-sector oil marketing company outside South Asia in the recent years.The broader oil and gas MoU seeks to institutionalise the two countries’ energy partnership through cooperation in petroleum product supplies, training and capacity-building for Mauritian officials, besides collaboration in biofuels.Puri held talks with Mauritius Energy and Public Utilities Minister Patrick Gervais Assirvaden, Commerce and Consumer Protection Minister John Michaël Tzoun Sao Yeung Sik Yuen and Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Minister Dhananjay Ramful.He also participated in the ground-breaking ceremony for a 27.5-thousand-tonne marine bunker fuel storage facility being developed by Indian Oil (Mauritius) Ltd at Mer Rouge in Port Louis.It also reinforces India’s emergence as a major supplier of refined petroleum products, with its 23 refineries producing around 267 million metric tonnes annually. India is already a net exporter of refined petroleum products and supplies fuel to Nepal and Bhutan, besides several other markets.The government said India had continued to honour its fuel supply commitments to Nepal and Bhutan even during the ongoing West Asia crisis, underlining its growing role as a dependable regional energy partner.The Mauritius agreement further strengthens India’s strategic and economic presence in the Indian Ocean region, giving New Delhi a larger role in securing fuel supplies for an island nation heavily dependent on imports. The MoU also expands cooperation in biofuels, including knowledge-sharing, research and training.