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Sunday 16 Aug 2026
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Newly appointed High Commissioner of India to the Maldives G. Balasubramanian being escorted to the President's Office in a cultural procession on January 6, 2025. (Photo/President's Office)
The relationship between Maldives and India is “very strong” and firmly anchored in the ‘Vision Document’ agreed by the leaders of both countries, Indian High Commissioner G Balasubramanian said in an exclusive interview with the Maldives Independent.
High Commissioner Balasubramanian highlighted that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to India in October 2024 was a major turning point in bilateral ties. During that visit, President Muizzu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi formulated a vision document or roadmap for the future of the two countries.
“Both the countries have actually brought out a ‘Vision Document,’ a road map of how both the countries will have to progress and proceed. And both the countries have been working on that particular document assiduously,” he said.
He added that the Vision Document has served as his “guiding framework” since presenting his credentials in January 2025.
Reflecting on the pace of high-level exchanges, Balasubramanian noted that eight or nine Maldivian ministers visited India in 2025. India’s prime minister visited Maldives as guest of honour in July 2025, followed by a visit from India’s civil aviation minister in November 2025. In addition, four business delegations from India, in fisheries, agriculture, aviation, tourism and renewable energy, travelled to Maldives.
Speaking on India’s longstanding role as Maldives’ first responder, he said India takes that responsibility “very seriously.”
He noted that during the recent measles outbreak, India provided three tonnes of medicines and 20,000 doses of vaccine within seven days of Maldives requesting assistance.
“India supplied 258 million vaccine doses worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic. For the Maldives specifically, India's role as a first responder spans decades: from assisting during the 1988 coup attempt and the 2004 tsunami to resolving the 2014 water crisis, providing Covid-19 relief in 2020, and responding to the measles outbreak just a month and a half ago,” he said.
High Commissioner Balasubramanian assured that India would “always be ready” to assist Maldives as a country with the capability to extend support.
