How Fiji Is Emerging As A Key Node In India's Expanding Indo-Pacific Strategy

 

 

New Delhi : In a reaffirmation of India’s growing engagement with the Pacific Island nations, the Sixth India-Fiji Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Suva signalled New Delhi’s sustained commitment to deepening its bilateral partnership with Fiji. Led by Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Raijeli Taga, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Fiji, the discussions took place against the backdrop of India’s expanding Indo-Pacific outreach and the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), a regional platform increasingly central to India’s Act East Policy.

 

“The FOC provided an opportunity to review and discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations,” the External Affairs Ministry stated in a press release on Wednesday following the meeting held in the Fijian capital on Tuesday. “Secretary (South) and PS discussed ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation in health, education, capacity building, trade, investment, agriculture, renewable energy, climate change, people-to-people and cultural exchanges in order to deepen and diversify the India-Fiji partnership.” The Ministry further stated that Malhotra conveyed India’s appreciation for the Fijian government’s expression of solidarity and support in the global fight against terrorism, with special reference to the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 2025.

 

“The two delegations also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including developments in the Pacific,” the press release stated. During the visit, Malhotra paid courtesy calls on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics Biman Prasad, Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua, and Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services Penioni Ravunawa. She also had interactions with Filimoni Vosarogo, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Agni Deo Singh, Minister for Employment Productivity and Workplace Relations, Charan Jeath Singh, Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Industry, and Sakiusa Tubuna, Assistant Minister for the Office of the Prime Minister. The Secretary (South) held a roundtable discussion with prominent members of the business community in Fiji.

 

“The visit of the Secretary (South) to Fiji contributed to the enhancement of bilateral ties as well as closer cooperation under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) in line with India’s Act East Policy and the broader vision of the Indo-Pacific,” the Ministry added. India and Fiji share historical ties dating back to the 19th century when Indian indentured labourers arrived on the island nation. Today, the Indo-Fijian community – comprising nearly 37 per cent of Fiji’s population -remains a vital cultural bridge between the two countries. However, the relationship has evolved well beyond cultural affinity. It now encompasses cooperation across sectors, including development, defence, disaster management, digital technology, education, health, and renewable energy. The Government of India is a committed development partner of Fiji. Indian assistance extends to sectors such as capacity building through human resource development and training under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.

 

Every year, many ITEC slots are made available to Fijian nationals. Many others benefit from training opportunities and pursue higher education in India every year under various scholarships offered by the Ministry of AYUSH of India as well as by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). Fiji’s geopolitical location in the South Pacific makes it a critical partner in India’s broader Indo-Pacific vision. As an island nation straddling vital maritime lanes, Fiji serves as a key node in ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific - a vision championed by India in alignment with like-minded partners such as Australia, Japan, and the US. India’s outreach to Fiji aligns with the tenets of its Act East Policy, which now incorporates a Pacific dimension. Originally focused on Southeast and East Asia, the policy has evolved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include Pacific Island Countries (PICs) as essential stakeholders. Fiji, with its economic and political weight in the Pacific region, plays a pivotal role in this extended arc of engagement.

 

Launched in 2014, FIPIC has emerged as a cornerstone of India's engagement with the 14 Pacific Island nations. Fiji has been at the heart of this initiative, hosting the inaugural summit in Suva. The third FIPIC summit held in Papua New Guinea in 2023, which witnessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation, reaffirmed India’s commitment to this multilateral platform. FIPIC reflects India’s shift from transactional diplomacy to sustained, values-based engagement with the Pacific. The forum focuses on key development priorities such as climate change adaptation and disaster resilience, renewable energy, healthcare and telemedicine, IT and digital connectivity, agriculture and food security, and capacity-building and education. India’s establishment of a dedicated Centre of Excellence in IT in Fiji and its proposal to open a FIPIC Secretariat in the region are symbolic of the long-term intent behind these engagements. These initiatives not only address developmental needs but also counterbalance the growing influence of other external powers in the Pacific, notably China. In line with its Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), India is also working with Fiji to strengthen cooperation in maritime security and the sustainable use of marine resources.

 

Fiji, like many other Pacific Island nations, faces the dual challenge of maintaining maritime domain awareness while safeguarding its exclusive economic zones (EEZs). India has supported regional capacity-building through the supply of patrol vessels, training, and hydrographic support. Additionally, both sides have shown interest in the blue economy, focusing on sustainable fisheries, ocean energy, and marine biodiversity. As climate change increasingly threatens livelihoods in island nations, India’s technological expertise, financial assistance, and development experience can play a transformative role. “It is extremely important to keep the South Pacific Island nations in India’s focus,” Amit Dasgupta, former Indian Ambassador to the Philippines who was concurrently accredited to the Pacific Island nations of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau, told ETV Bharat.

 

“These are countries that are friendly to India and are important for us from a strategic point of view.” Dasgupta said that Prime Minister Modi had visited Fiji and Papua New Guinea. “These are developing nations and have a host of issues like development, education and healthcare,” he said. “We have their welfare in our mind.” Dasgupta further highlighted that China has made strong inroads in the South Pacific, particularly in the island nation of the Solomon Islands. “It is important for us to engage with these countries,” he said. “It is the right time to engage with them.” Dasgupta lauded the External Affairs Ministry for creating the new post of Secretary (South) to deal with countries of the Global South. According to Harsh V Pant, Professor of International Relations with King’s India Institute at King’s College London and Vice-President (Studies and Foreign Policy) at the Observer Research Foundation think tank, the ambit of India’s Act East Policy has been expanding.

 

“In the early 1990s, the Look East Policy was primarily about economic relations with countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia,” Pant said. “The Act East Policy has a more strategic underpinning. It covers a wider range of issues.” He said that it is in light of this that the South Pacific has emerged as an important strategic area in the larger Indo-Pacific, a region that extends from the east coast of Japan to the east coast of Africa. “India has historical relations with Fiji,” Pant said. “As such, Fiji is an important node for India’s outreach to the South Pacific.”