India would be a partner in the development of information and communication technology in Mauritius, Prime Minister of Mauritius, Anerood Jugnauth, said at a business meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry on Wednesday.
Jugnauth said the economy of Mauritius traditionally depended on the agriculture, textiles and garment, tourism and financial services sector for growth.
However, new initiatives by the government in the field of information and communication technology sought to convert Mauritius into a knowledge-based economy and establish the sector as a pillar for development, he added.
The visiting dignitary acknowledged the line of credit to the tune of $100 million extended to Mauritius by India as a key component in launching its infotech drive.
Jugnauth said his government was keen to transform Mauritius into a Cyber Island, which would be the first of its kind in the entire region.
The first step towards achieving that goal would be to set up a cyber city, whose first phase would be inaugurated in December 2003, he said.
Indian infotech bigwigs like Infosys, Pentasoft, and Satyam have shown keen interest in establishing their presence in Mauritius.
The Mauritius Prime Minister said a beginning in the right direction had been made, and his government had established a specialised entity called the Business Parks of Mauritius Ltd to develop the information and communication technology sector.
BPML had also established a strategic partnership with the Software Technology Parks of India.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between these two organisations to facilitate the setting up of a disaster recovery services centre.
Jugnauth has invited Indian businessmen in the information and communication technology sector to tap the vast market in Mauritius.
He said English and French were widely spoken and understood in the island nation.
Jugnauth stressed Mauritius was a member of the Common Market of the Eastern and Southern Africa and the Southern African Development Community.
The dignitary also said the country had immense freeport and warehousing facilities, which had helped make it a business hub and a trading bridge between India and Africa.