Mauritius wants India's help to become civilian satellite launch centre

India may not like to rule out the proposal completely, as it is wary of China offering a similar knowhow to Mauritius

Mauritius has sought India’s help on satellite technology in a bid to emerge as a civilian satellite launch centre, it is learnt. The island nation’s proposal has caught New Delhi by surprise. 

“Countries hardly ever share proprietary technologies like space and India is no exception,” a government official in the know told Business Standard. 

The proposal is unusual for India, which is negotiating two unconnected but high stake cooperation agreements with Port Louis. One is a plan to set up an offshore oil reserve for India in Mauritius. The other is a free-trade agreement. In that backdrop, India may not like to