PM Modi unveils USD 175 million economic package for Seychelles
New Delhi (PTI): India on Monday announced USD 175 million as development assistance to Seychelles after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with island nation's President Patrick Herminie that produced a joint vision for deeper two-way engagement.
Following the Modi-Herminie meeting, the two sides inked seven agreements to boost ties in a range of areas including digital solutions, exports and data sharing, and conduct of maritime scientific research.
India and Seychelles also agreed on a broad vision to expand cooperation in areas of sustainability, trade and economy, and security.
"Today's meeting makes it clear that the India-Seychelles partnership is entering a new phase," PM Modi said.
Herminie is on a six-day visit to India. Seychelles is a key maritime neighbour for India in the Indian Ocean region.
"India and Seychelles share a relationship that extends far beyond diplomatic engagement. The waves of the Indian Ocean have connected our peoples for centuries," the prime minister said in his media statement.
"Along its shores, trade between our nations has grown, cultures have converged, and traditions of trust have continued to strengthen," he said.
In the talks, both leaders agreed to step up bilateral cooperation in the field of hydrography to support Seychelles' efforts in accelerating its blue economy growth.
In this regard, Seychelles will establish a Seychelles Hydrographic Unit (SHU) with Indian assistance.
Elaborating on the deep-rooted bilateral ties, Modi said India and Seychelles are connected not "just by geography, but by history, trust and a shared vision for the future."
"Our bond spans the past, the present, and the future. As a maritime neighbour and a trusted partner, Seychelles is an integral part of India's MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) Vision. Our cooperation encompasses the maritime, land, and air domains," he said.
"In today's discussions, we charted a path to further strengthen this partnership. We agreed to continue exploring new opportunities to deepen our economic cooperation," he said.
The prime minister said development partnership has been a strong pillar of India-Seychelles relations and that New Delhi's efforts have been guided by the priorities and requirements of the island nation.
"Building on this direction, today we are announcing a Special Economic Package of 175 million dollars," Modi said.
This package will support concrete projects in areas such as social housing, e-mobility, vocational training, health, defence, and maritime security, he said.
The USD 175 million aid will comprise USD 125 million in rupee - denominated Line of Credit, and USD 50 million in grant assistance.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, at a media briefing, said India will provide 1000 metric tonnes of grains and lentils under the 'special economic package'.
In his remarks, Modi said India will continue to work together with Seychelles in the supply of affordable, quality medicines, and the development of health infrastructure.
"In the areas of energy and climate, our cooperation is guided by a shared commitment to sustainable development. We will further expand our collaboration in renewable energy, resilience, and climate-adaptive solutions," he said.
Modi said India will share with Seychelles its expertise in areas such as marine research, capacity building, and data sharing.
"Defence cooperation and maritime security are important pillars of our partnership. We welcome Seychelles as a full member of the Colombo Security Conclave," he said.
"This will strengthen our mutual coordination and reinforce efforts to ensure peace and stability in the Indian Ocean," he said.
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Karnataka Transport Dept uncovers alleged ₹37 lakh tax evasion involving Lamborghini in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Officials of the Karnataka Transport Department have uncovered an alleged tax evasion case involving a luxury Lamborghini Huracan Evo in Bengaluru. The evasion was carried out with forged documents which were allegedly used to evade over ₹37 lakh in road tax and penalties, officials said on Monday.
According to a report published by The Indian Express, an anonymous email was received by the transport department on December 12, 2025, which alleged that using fabricated documents, H1 Car Care had fraudulently registered the high-end vehicle at the Kasturinagar Regional Transport Office (RTO). The additional commissioner (Enforcement) ordered an inquiry after photographs of the allegedly forged paperwork, attached to the email were examined.
A police complaint was filed by Senior Motor Vehicle Inspector Ranjith N at the Kodigehalli police station. The complaint noted that the Lamborghini, bearing registration number KA-03-NX-0016, was originally purchased by Harsha Infra Cons Pvt Ltd from a Lavelle Road showroom on June 1, 2022, for ₹3,00,68,729.
The vehicle was temporarily registered at the Electronics City RTO from June 2 to July 1, 2022. Later the company sought permission to register it at a Regional Transport Office in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Investigators discovered that the accused had allegedly created fraudulent documents. He stated that H1 Car Care purchased the same vehicle in September 2025, about three years after it was sold and registered to Harsha Infra Cons. The alleged purchase price was shown as ₹3,00,58,729.
An official quoted by TIE said that the forged documents reused the same invoice number that had originally been issued to the first buyer, which is illegal. Investigators called an authorized Lamborghini dealer during verifications, who confirmed that the vehicle was sold to Harsha Infra Cons. The dealer further claimed that the invoice dated September 1, 2025, was reportedly issued to H1 Car Care, however it was never generated by the showroom and seemed to be faked.
After reviewing the paperwork, the Kasturinagar RTO determined that the fake papers were utilized to achieve the illegal registration. Officials informed that the vehicle was also undervalued to evade road tax and penalties amounting to over ₹37 lakh accumulated over the three-year period.
Following confirmation of the forgery, senior transport officials ordered the immediate seizure of the vehicle. The Lamborghini was traced on February 7 and seized from Sahakarnagar, where it was found linked to premises associated with H1 Car Care.
