Port Louis, March 12 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled India's ambitious vision for the security and development of the Global South during his visit to Mauritius. The announcement comes amid China's persistent efforts to expand its influence in the region.

Earlier in the day, Modi and Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam signed multiple agreements, strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas such as maritime security, trade in national currencies, and skill development. A total of eight agreements were finalized between the two nations.

As per agency report, addressing the media after the agreements, Modi introduced India's new vision for the Global South, called ‘MAHASAGAR’—an acronym for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. He emphasized that this initiative aims to foster sustainable development, enhance trade, and ensure mutual security among participating nations.

On the second and final day of his visit, Modi reiterated India's commitment to the Global South, stating that the MAHASAGAR framework would serve as a guiding principle for regional cooperation. The term 'Global South' typically refers to economically developing nations.

Highlighting India's long-standing engagement with Mauritius, Modi described the island nation as a key partner in India's regional strategy. He also recalled how India's 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision was first outlined a decade ago in Mauritius, setting the foundation for India's maritime security and development initiatives in the Indian Ocean region.

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) India on Monday successfully launched its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.

RuPay card services were also launched in Mauritius as part of this initiative.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the inaugural event virtually alongside his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Indians visiting the two nations will be able to utilise UPI services to make payments, and Mauritians travelling to India will be able to do the same. Additionally, Mauritian banks will be able to issue RuPay cards and use them for transactions in both India and Mauritius.

The launch of the Indian services comes amid growing bilateral economic ties with Sri Lanka and Mauritius.

UPI services, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), enable immediate real-time bank transactions using mobile phones.

RuPay is an Indian-based card payment network that is widely accepted at retail locations, ATMs, and online platforms globally.

Prior to this, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) worked with Lyra, a well-known French expert in e-commerce and proximity payments, to introduce UPI services to France.