Indian Naval Ship, INS Suvarna, visited Mauritius from December 11-13, 2010 to conduct joint patrolling and surveillance operations with a view to prevent piracy and illegal fishing activities and help reinforce maritime security in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Mauritius. The Commanding Officer of the ship is Commander J.T. Mundakel.

The primary role of INS Suvarna, an OPV class ship, is offshore patrolling. The Ship has been involved in the performance of a variety of roles.  One of these related to its deployment off Mozambique in 2003 on a request from the Government of Mozambique for providing maritime security during the African Union Summit. His Excellency Sir Anerood Jugnauth, G.C.S.K., K.C.M.G., Q.C., President of the Republic of Mauritius, as the then Prime Minister of Mauritius, had also visited the ship during his visit to India in January 2003.

INS Suvarna will undertake joint EEZ Surveillance/Anti-piracy patrol in Mauritian waters in conjunction with the National Coast Guard (NCG) of Mauritius. Passage Exercises (PASSEX) were also carried out jointly with the NCG as the ship leaves Port Louis harbour on December 14, 2010. INS Suvarna also conducted extensive training of NCG personnel including inter alia in the operation of the Coastal Surveillance Radar System (CSRS), which is currently being installed in Mauritius - this is financed under the grant assistance provided by the Government of India.

The visit of INS Suvarna provided yet another opportunity towards the strengthening of the comprehensive cooperation between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius. While serving as deterrence to increasing piracy-related incidents and reinforcing maritime security in the Indian Ocean region, it reflects the firm commitment of the Government of India to further develop and consolidate the multifaceted cooperation between India and the Republic of Mauritius.