During negotiations for a bilateral trade pact, Mauritius offered two islands over 1000 kilometers from its borders measuring 70 square kilometers to India to develop for tourism, trade, or strategic purposes.

While details are being worked out, it looks like the cost of procuring the island may be high. At the same time, the Agalega Islands give India a much needed strategic presence in the Indian Ocean and develop high-end tourism destination to compete with Maldives. Further, located close to Africa, the islands also present an opportunity to develop a substantial port that could service trans-oceanic shipping.