NEW DELHI (PTI): A liaison officer from the Seychelles was on Monday posted at the Indian Navy's Information Fusion Centre (IFC) that has emerged as a key hub in tracking movements of ships and other developments in the Indian Ocean.

With the posting of the officer, Seychelles joined a select group of countries such as the UK, the US, Australia, Japan and France to depute officials at the Gurgaon-based facility.

The Indian Navy established the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in 2018 to effectively keep track of the shipping traffic as well as other critical developments in the region under a collaborative framework with like-minded countries.

"First International Liaison Officer (ILO) from Seychelles inducted in presence of HE Mr T Selby Pillay, the High Commissioner of Seychelles to India. ILOs are one of the most important assets in our collaborative venture," the IFC-IOR tweeted.

The positioning of the officer at the centre comes in the backdrop of growing maritime security ties between India and the Seychelles.

In February, Australia posted a liaison officer at the IFC.

The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of Indian Navy, is critical for India's strategic interests. China has been making concerted efforts to increase its presence in the region.

The Indian Navy has been ramping up its presence in the Indian Ocean to keep a hawk-eyed vigil over Chinese activities.