India and Fiji’s bilateral relations are deeply rooted in shared history, cultural ties, and a strong diaspora presence. Overlapping strategic concerns, shared economic interests, and efforts to integrate with the Indo-Pacific economic architecture bind them further together.
To scale up bilateral relations and align their respective regional policies more closely, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka made an official visit to India from August 24 to 26 – his first visit to India since taking over the prime minister’s office in December 2022. The two nations are poised to chart a forward-looking trajectory across healthcare, defense, climate, and people-to-people engagements.
The relationship goes back to the time when both India and Fiji were colonies of the British Empire. Between 1879 and 1916, more than 60,000 Girmitiyas – Indian laborers mostly from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar – were sent to work as forced indentured labor in Fiji for the British Empire. The indenture system was abolished in 1920, putting the forced Indian migration to a halt. Today, Indo-Fijians – the descendants of these Indian laborers in Fiji – make up around 38 percent of Fiji’s population, establishing enduring cultural and societal links with India. The Indian diaspora in Fiji has been connected with India through educational, cultural connections, trade, and tourism linkages, while India maintains a strict policy of non-interference in Fijian politics.
Since the establishment of formal bilateral relations in 1970, India-Fiji relations have witnessed an upward trajectory, albeit not without some ups and downs. Bilateral trade has gone up over the years, maintaining a modest level of around $80 million for the past few years, even though the balance of trade stands in favor of India. Like many other countries in the South Pacific, the cornerstone of India-Fiji relations has been New Delhi’s development assistance and capacity-building efforts, as seen during Rabuka’s visit to India. India has steadily supported Fiji in multilateral forums, especially on climate change and Global South coalitions.
In 2014, when Narendra Modi took over as the prime minister of India, Fiji was included in his list of overseas visits. Modi’s 2014 visit was the first by an Indian prime minister in 33 years, demonstrating the importance his government attaches to the South Pacific. During Modi’s visit, India also launched the Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) to engage the 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs), namely the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. In the decade since its inception, FIPIC has hosted three Summits, in Suva, Fiji (2014); Jaipur, India (2015); and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (2023).
India also engages with Fiji and other Pacific Islands through the South Pacific-led Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), where India has been a dialogue partner since 2002.
Rabuka’s visit to India this week expanded on the existing cooperation, with a particular focus on defense and security. Through the first India-Fiji Joint Working Group on Defense, agreements were signed in areas such as U.N. peacekeeping, military medicine, white shipping data sharing, cybersecurity training, and maritime security in Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). India pledged to send two ambulances to Fiji’s military, establish a defense wing at its High Commission in Suva, institute a cyber training cell, and plan an Indian naval port visit. The two countries reaffirmed their zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, particularly condemning “in strongest terms” this year’s attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. and emphasized resilience through mutual training and cooperation.
Healthcare cooperation was another priority area. India pledged to build a 100-bed “super-specialty hospital” in Suva, deploy telemedicine through the e-Sanjeevani platform, establish affordable Jan Aushadhi Kendras (People’s Pharmacies) in Fiji, organize a second Jaipur Foot camp (which provides India-made prosthetic limbs) in Fiji, and welcome up to 10 Fijians for treatment in Indian hospitals under the “Heal in India” initiative. Additionally, an MOU was signed on the Tubalevu Village Ground Water Supply project under the “Quick Impact” scheme, making good on a commitment made by India at the 2024 PIF Leaders Meeting.
The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to climate action. India pledged support for capacity-building, solar energy deployment, and disaster resilience, leveraging platforms like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) – all of which Fiji has joined alongside India.
In agriculture, India donated 12 drones, two soil testing labs, and 5 metric tons of cowpea seeds. Technical training for Fiji’s sugar sector, via ITEC, and an expert deputation to the Fiji Sugar Corporation were also promised.
Bilateral trade and investment received renewed focus. Fiji granted market access for Indian ghee, while both sides explored logistics, SME development, and economic diversification. A Declaration of Intent was signed to facilitate professional and student mobility.
Cultural and educational exchanges were strengthened through the deploying of a Hindi-Sanskrit teacher to the University of Fiji, training of pundits, and Geeta Mahotsav celebrations in Fiji. In sports, India pledged to send a cricket coach to develop Fiji’s talents.
Fiji also expressed interest in joining India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, showcasing the two countries’ strategic alignment. Both Modi and Rabuka endorsed a “a free, open, secure, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region” and “announced their intent to collaborate on strengthening regional maritime security.”
Fiji reinforced its support for India’s bid for U.N. Security Council permanent membership (and a non-permanent seat from 2028–29). They also reaffirmed commitments to Global South collaboration and regional platforms such as FIPIC.
Enhancing Fiji’s capabilities in maritime security and cybersecurity strengthens India’s Indo-Pacific presence amid regional shifts, while projects in healthcare, agriculture, and water reflect India’s development-first engagement model. Their shared vision in multilateral forums underscores India’s growing leadership within the Global South.
India and Fiji’s relationship has entered a new phase through Rabuka’s visit. The agreements reached in August 2025 – spanning health, security, climate, trade, and culture – signal a holistic partnership aligned with contemporary challenges and opportunities. This renewed engagement not only benefits both nations but also reinforces a cooperative Indo-Pacific order rooted in respect, development, and shared aspirations.