At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, paid an official visit to India from August 24 to 26, 2025. This marks PM Rabuka’s first visit to India in his current capacity. He is visiting New Delhi, accompanied by his spouse, Antonio Lalabalavu, Fiji’s Minister for Health and Medical Services, and a delegation of senior officials. During the visit, PM Modi announced a initiative to support Fiji’s sugar sector, including the gifting of 12 agricultural drones and two mobile soil testing laboratories under India’s Grant-in-Aid Programme.
Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed PM Rabuka and his delegation. The two leaders held comprehensive and forward-looking discussions covering the full spectrum of bilateral issues, as well as regional and global matters of mutual interest. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the growth of bilateral ties and reaffirmed their commitment to building a broad-based, inclusive, and forward-looking partnership across areas such as defence, health, agriculture, agro-processing, trade and investment, development of small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, culture, sports, education, and skill development.
The leaders identified capacity building as a key pillar of India’s partnership with Fiji. Prime Minister Modi affirmed that India will continue to offer capacity building opportunities to Fijian government professionals under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
PM Modi announced gifting of 12 agricultural drones and 2 mobile soil testing laboratories under India’s Grant-in-Aid Programme which will promote innovation and enhance productivity in Fiji’s sugar sector. To further support the sector, PM Modi announced the intention to send an ITEC expert to the Fiji Sugar Corporation, along with the organization of specialized ITEC training programmes for Fijian sugar sector professionals.
The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to climate action, resilience building, and sustainable development in the spirit of India’s Mission LiFE and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. PM Modi appreciated Fiji’s membership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA). The Leaders welcomed the growing collaboration within ISA, including the upcoming establishment of a STAR-Centre at Fiji National University through a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with ISA, and signing of the Country Partnership Framework to scale solar deployment across priority sectors in Fiji. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s commitment to support Fiji’s national resilience goals within the CDRI Framework through technical assistance, capacity building, and advocacy on global platforms.
The Leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting biofuels as sustainable energy solution within the framework of the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA). As founding and active members of the Alliance, both sides underscored the vital role of biofuels in enhancing energy security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and fostering inclusive rural development. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation on capacity building, technical assistance, and policy frameworks to support the scale-up of sustainable biofuel production and deployment in Fiji.
