India News

India extend $100 m credit, gifts Dornier aircraft to Seychelles

Published

8 years ago

June 26, 2018

India extend $100 m credit, gifts Dornier aircraft to Seychelles

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]India and Seychelles have agreed to work together to develop a naval base project at the Assumption Island keeping each other’s concerns in mind after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Danny Faure on Monday. India has also announced a $100 million credit to Seychelles for augmenting its defence capability.

While speaking at the joint press conference Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “I have reiterated India’s commitment towards effective contributions to projects of national importance in Seychelles. These projects will not only help Seychelles’ economy but they will also help to further intensify our mutual relations”.

He further said, “I am happy to announce a credit line of US $ 100 million for Seychelles. From this credit line Seychelles will be able to purchase defence equipment from India to build its maritime capacity. The second Dornier aircraft which I had promised during my visit to Seychelles in March 2015 is ready to be handed over tomorrow.” The Dornier aircraft will arrive in Seychelles to participate in the National Day festival of Seychelles on June 29, he said.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted,[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Faure, who is on his first bilateral visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Modi Monday morning.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj also called on the visiting leader and discussed with him expanding bilateral cooperation in key areas, including capacity building and human resource development.

On Tuesday, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj handed over the Dornier aircraft to the visiting Seychelles President.

[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Addressing the ceremony Sushma Swaraj said, “Today marks a historic day with the fulfilling of this commitment by handing over of this world class and state-of-the-art second Dornier aircraft to the Republic of Seychelles. It is gift from India ahead of the celebrations to mark the National Day of Seychelles on 29th June”.

She further said, “ I am sure, this aircraft will give a quantum enhancement in maritime reconnaissance and contribute towards keeping the vast EEZ of Seychelles free from maritime threats”.

The Seychelles president had landed in Gujarat on June 22 as part of his six-day India tour and visited the Sabarmati Ashram on Saturday, where Mahatma Gandhi lived between 1917 and 1930. Faure also visited the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, where he held a meeting with the institute’s director Errol D’Souza.

After visiting Ahmedabad and Goa, he arrived in Delhi yesterday and was received by minister of state for external affairs M.J. Akbar.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The visit comes just days after Faure said that a joint project with New Delhi to develop a naval base at Assumption Island in his country would not move forward. However, the two countries reached an agreement.

Faure, in his remarks, said the Assumption Island project was discussed and the two countries equally engaged to work together bearing each other’s interests.

Seychelles President Faure has been facing criticism at home since that country signed an agreement with India in 2015 to develop a naval facility at the island which would have given New Delhi a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Seychelles in March 2015 when two countries signed four agreements, including MoUs on Renewable Energy cooperation and in the field of Hydrography, a protocol on Sale of Navigational Charts and an agreement on Development of facilities on Assumption Island.

Seychelles President James Alix Michel visited India in August that year when five agreements on bilateral air services, agricultural cooperation, blue economy, tax information exchange and gifting of a second Dornier aircraft to Seychelles were signed.

A 45-member Indian army team participated in the 7^th India-Seychelles biennial joint military exercise conducted in Mahe during February 2016. These bilateral exercises are being held in Seychelles since 2001.

India has an important link with Seychelles in the form of Indian nationals being the earliest inhabitants of this island, mostly from Tamil Nadu and later from Gujarat, who went there as traders, labourers, construction workers and more recently as professionals. There are more than 10,000 people of Indian origin, which is significant in a country of 96,000 people. In addition there are 11,000 Indians holding Gainful Employment Permits.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Up Next

Amarnath Yatra threat high, vehicles to carry Radio-frequency tags says Home Ministry

Don't Miss

Good news for Delhi-NCR: Delhi Metro to be linked to public transport systems in the region in a year

India News

Actor Imran Khan asked to leave India after CJP protest

Actor Imran Khan has been asked to leave India by October 28, days after participating in a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Mumbai.

Published

57 mins ago

October 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

Actor Imran Khan, nephew of Bollywood star Aamir Khan, has been asked to leave India by the Mumbai Police, days after participating in a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Mumbai.

According to the notice, the actor has been given until October 28 to leave the country. The development follows his participation in the demonstration, which brought the actor into the spotlight over his involvement in a political protest.

Imran Khan is believed to hold US citizenship and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card rather than full Indian citizenship, according to the report.

What led to the notice against Imran Khan?

The notice came days after Imran Khan joined a protest called by the CJP in Mumbai. The group, described as a satirical political organisation, had called for the demonstration.

The actor’s participation was followed by action from the authorities, with the Mumbai Police directing him to leave India by the specified deadline.

The notice does not, by itself, mean that the actor has already left the country or has been deported. October 28 is the deadline mentioned for his departure.

Imran Khan and his citizenship status

Imran Khan is known for his work in Hindi films, including Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na and Delhi Belly. He is also the nephew of actor Aamir Khan.

The report states that Imran Khan is believed to be a US citizen and hold an OCI card. OCI status does not confer Indian citizenship, although it provides eligible foreign citizens of Indian origin with specified privileges under Indian law.

The notice directing the actor to leave India follows his participation in the Mumbai protest. The reported development has brought attention to the intersection of immigration rules and the participation of foreign nationals in political demonstrations.

India News

Election Commission orders voter roll revision in 17 states, UTs

The Election Commission has ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union Territories. Draft rolls are scheduled for November 12, with final rolls due on January 4, 2027.

Published

1 hour ago

October 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union Territories, with the exercise aimed at facilitating voter registration and including eligible electors who may have been left out during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The order was issued on Thursday, October 15, amid continuing political controversy over the SIR process and concerns raised by opposition parties regarding the exclusion of names from electoral rolls.

Under the announced schedule, January 1, 2027, will be the qualifying date for the revision. The draft electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on November 12, while the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, two states included in the exercise, are scheduled to go to the polls by February 2027.

Which states and Union Territories are covered?

The Special Summary Revision will cover the following 17 states and Union Territories:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Assam
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Goa
Gujarat
Kerala
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh
Manipur
Puducherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Tamil Nadu
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal

The Election Commission’s order follows earlier instructions issued to state election officials on September 29 to undertake a special drive to enrol eligible voters who had been left out, along with young and first-time electors.

Why has the Election Commission ordered the revision?

The announcement comes amid protests and political disagreements over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have raised concerns about names being excluded during the exercise.

Another point of contention has been an additional declaration required from applicants submitting Form 6 for voter enrolment while the SIR was underway. The declaration required applicants to map their parents to the last SIR, which was conducted around 20 years ago.

The Election Commission had clarified on October 7 that the additional declaration applied only in states and Union Territories where the SIR was being conducted. It said the regular forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would apply outside the SIR period.

The latest SSR order refers to applications for inclusion through Form 6 but does not mention the additional declaration.

What happens in states not covered by the current schedule?

The Election Commission has said that the schedule for the Special Summary Revision will be announced later in states and Union Territories where the SIR is ongoing or has recently been completed.

These include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura and Telangana.

For Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, where the SIR has not yet started, the schedule for electoral roll revision will be announced in due course, taking local weather conditions into account.

The Election Commission’s latest order sets out a separate timeline for the 17 states and Union Territories covered by the current SSR exercise, while leaving the schedules for the other regions to be announced later.

India News

India-US trade deal first phase finalised, drafting underway

The first phase of the India-US trade agreement has been finalised and is undergoing legal drafting, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said. The deal is expected to be operationalised once India secures a competitive advantage over peer countries.

Published

4 hours ago

October 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

The first phase of the proposed India-US trade agreement has been finalised and is undergoing legal drafting, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. However, the agreement is yet to be fully finalised and implemented, with India seeking a competitive advantage over other countries before putting it into operation.

Speaking at the SRCC Centenary Conclave in New Delhi, Goyal said the first tranche of the bilateral agreement had been finalised and was going through the legal drafting process. He expressed hope that the process would be completed soon.

The minister said implementation would follow once India secured a comparable or competitive advantage over its peer countries in the American market.

India seeks an advantage over competing exporters

India wants its exporters to receive favourable market access and tariff terms compared with competitors. Goyal’s remarks indicate that the relative position of Indian goods in the US market remains an important consideration before the agreement becomes operational.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke about the negotiations at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum this week. He said the discussions were approaching a possible resolution but noted that India’s position relative to competing economies remained an issue.

Jaishankar said the outcome would depend partly on the terms negotiated between India and the United States and partly on how India fares against other competing economies.

Trade negotiations moving forward, says Commerce Secretary

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said the negotiations were progressing in the right direction and that both countries hoped to conclude and sign the agreement at the earliest possible time.

He explained that the signing would depend on the formalisation of the broader tariff structure in the United States. Parallel work was also underway in Washington, including processes linked to Section 301.

Agrawal indicated that the two sides would move towards signing the agreement at a mutually agreed time after the relevant tariff framework was formalised.

Earlier this month, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said India and the United States were working to resolve outstanding issues, although an agreement was not imminent at that point.

India-US trade talks and bilateral relations

India and the United States have been negotiating the proposed bilateral trade pact since early 2025. The discussions aim to address tariff-related differences, reduce non-tariff barriers and improve market access between the two countries.

The negotiations have taken place against the backdrop of broader strains in bilateral relations, including disputes over tariffs and differences concerning other policy issues.

While the finalisation of the first tranche marks progress in the negotiations, the agreement still needs to move through the remaining legal and procedural steps before it can be signed and implemented.

The next steps will depend on the completion of legal drafting, the finalisation of the US tariff framework and the two countries’ agreement on the terms governing the pact.