The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) inaugurated its 5th International Conference 2026 in Mauritius on August 3 in the presence of the Chief Guest, Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning Dr the Hon Jyoti Jeetun, and Guest of Honour, High Commissioner of India, His Excellency Anurag Srivastava.
Based on the theme Strengthening Governance in VUCA World, the three-day Conference concluded with a Study Tour of the Ministry of Financial Services and Economic Planning, Government of Mauritius, on August 5.
Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning Jyoti Jeetun shared her experience during the early stage of her career, where good governance is often preceded by poor processes.
She told, “Many years later at the helm of Mont Choisy as the Group CEO, a family enterprise lacking governance structures in place, putting them in place and best practices was one of my first tasks. As CEO and Executive Director, I discovered that results matter.
Today, I repeat that as a Minister in Government because too often, civil servants argue that they need to follow processes. Too often, execution and delivery are sacrificed at the altar of processes and compliance. “
She further underlined on an entirely different role as a non-executive director. “You are not managing the organisation. You are asking questions. Sometimes the most valuable contribution of a Non-Exec is not providing answers. It is asking the question nobody else is asking.”
The Minister also elaborated about the changing nature of the board agenda, where 20 years ago, the board was mostly about financial performance, whereas now the worry is about the new generation of technology and AI. How is this going to shape the way we do things? How are we going to adapt and innovate to remain relevant in this new world order? Geopolitics, trade tariffs, climate change, brand and reputation management in the era of 24/7 news and social media. These are just some of the complexities that today’s boards are having to manage.”
She emphasised, “Welcome to the new era in the VUCA world. Ignore it at your peril. Why does Geopolitics matter for the boardroom? The Iran war, the Ukraine conflict, and shifting alliances have shown us how quickly global shocks can cascade into domestic realities. Boards must anticipate how these will evolve in response to geopolitical tensions, we all experienced that last year after the US imposed tariffs.”
She further elucidated on sustainability and inclusivity, on why it matters in boardrooms today. “Unsurprisingly, they represent two out of three pillars of our Vision 2050—our long-term strategy for Mauritius to become an advanced nation. In a VUCA world, growth without resilience is fragile, and development without inclusion is also fragile.”
The Minister also shared on the special India-Mauritius bond with a history, culture and destiny laden with an emotional bond. “As both nations have evolved, so has the nature of the partnership; nowhere is it stronger in the financial services sector.”
The Minister recalled the DTAA signed between India and Mauritius in 1982 that has served as a significant pillar of the economic relations for more than four decades.
She underlined, “The treaty has helped support investment to the tune of USD170 billion in India, while bolstering business cooperation and significantly contributing to the emergence of Mauritius as a trusted international financial centre.”
“Last week, the Cabinet approved the ratification of the India-Mauritius DTAA Protocol. When we took office in November 2024, the Protocol had already been signed by the previous Governments but had not been ratified by the Government in Mauritius.”
She pointed out numerous concerns hailing from the industry both in India and Mauritius. “We had extensive discussions with stakeholders, industry representatives and our counterparts in India. I am most grateful to the High Commissioner, His Excellency Shri Anuraag Shrivastav, who has been working relentlessly on overcoming the issues since he arrived and we first met in think in December 2025.”
Minister Jeetun spoke about high-level engagements between the Prime Ministers, Dr. Navin Ramgoolam and PM Narendra Modi, where the Indian Government took note of stakeholder concerns that lent additional clarity through the desired clarifications and amendments in domestic rules.
She explained, “The decision in the cabinet was taken after careful review, involving all matters. The ratification reflects our confidence that the India-Mauritius economic partnership will grow from strength to strength. It is not only restricted to inward investments flowing into India, but Mauritius is also ready to be India’s most trusted institutional platform for long-term engagement with Africa.”
She recalled that being a member of the African Union, SADC and COMESA in the context of Indian businesses looking to expand on the continent, it implies that the expansion can be structured with stability and credibility.
