IOS SAGAR Initiative

General Studies Paper II: Government Policies and Interventions

Why in News?

Recently, the Indian Navy launched the second edition of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR initiative 2026, strengthening maritime cooperation and security in the Indian Ocean Region with participation from 16 nations under the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) framework.

What is the IOS SAGAR Initiative?

About: Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR refers to a maritime cooperation initiative under India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision to enhance security, stability, and growth across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Launch: IOS SAGAR was first operationalised in 2025 and its second edition commenced on 16 March 2026.

Implementing Agency: The initiative is led by the Indian Navy, demonstrating its role as India’s key maritime security provider in the IOR.

Objective: Its main aim is to strengthen maritime cooperation and collective security with littoral states by joint operations, surveillance, capacity building, and naval engagement.

Participation: The initiative includes Indian naval personnel and a combined crew from 9 Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs) from the IOR, strengthening interoperability and trust. Countries include Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.

Asset Deployed: The Indian Navy deploys INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, renamed for the mission as IOS SAGAR, serving as the core platform for operations and diplomacy.

- - In the 2026 edition, 44 personnel (including 12 officers and 32 sailors) joined the crew of INS Sunayna to train and sail as a single, cohesive unit.

Activities:

Geographic Focus: Operations take place across the Southwest Indian Ocean, with port visits at Dar‑es‑Salaam (Tanzania), Nacala (Mozambique), Port Louis (Mauritius), Port Victoria (Seychelles), and Malé (Maldives).

Joint Operations: IOS SAGAR undertakes joint surveillance of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of partner countries and coordination on maritime threats like piracy, trafficking, and illegal fishing.

Technical Skill Acquisition: Participants undergo rigorous drills in VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) and firefighting. The training uses Indian Naval simulators in Kochi to enhance the technical proficiency of foreign crews.

Significance of IOS SAGAR Initiative

MAHASAGAR Operational Support: The mission implements the MAHASAGAR framework. It converts high-level diplomatic outreach into deck-level interaction, building mutual trust through shared professional experiences.
Multilateral Interoperability Goals: The initiative culminates in Exercise AIKEYME (Unity) to test joint operational capabilities. Naval units from nations like Kenya and Seychelles practice communication and tactical drills, reinforcing multilateral naval cooperation.
Information Sharing Hubs: The ship acts as a mobile extension of the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR). Crew members exchange White Shipping data to track commercial traffic, enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) by monitor over 30,000 vessels monthly.
Strategic Maritime Diplomacy: This reinforces India’s role as a “Preferred Security Partner” in the region. The mission demonstrates that regional problems require regional solutions. Thus discourages unilateral strategic encroachment by extra-regional powers.

What is the SAGAR Initiative?

About: SAGAR stands for “Security and Growth for All in the Region”, symbolising India’s central focus on the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for maritime cooperation.
Launch: SAGAR was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 March 2015 during a visit to Mauritius.
Vision: Its vision is to promote trust, transparency, peaceful dispute resolution, respect for maritime norms, and increased cooperation among IOR states.
Key Components:
- Security Cooperation: SAGAR fosters joint naval exercises, coordinated patrols, and shared maritime domain awareness (MDA) to tackle traditional and non‑traditional threats like piracy, trafficking, and terrorism.
- Humanitarian Assistance: Under SAGAR, the Indian Navy has conducted first‑responder operations during crises, providing medical aid, relief supplies, and evacuation support to IOR island states.
- Blue Economy Focus: The initiative supports sustainable maritime growth, including blue economy development, port infrastructure, trade facilitation, and connectivity improvements across the region.
Collaborative Initiatives: SAGAR include Mission SAGAR (COVID‑19 relief deployments), South Asia Satellite (SAS/GSAT-9), Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project and sponsorship of Integrated Coastal Surveillance Systems, promoting real cooperation beyond rhetoric.

What is the MAHASAGAR Initiative?

- About: MAHASAGAR stands for “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.” It was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 March 2025 during his official visit to Mauritius.
- Expanded Vision: It builds on the earlier SAGAR framework by widening the geographic focus from the IO to the Global South, including Africa and Indo‑Pacific partners.
Key Components:

- Trade & Economic Integration: The vision encourages trade facilitation, market access improvements, and economic linkages among developing nations for inclusive growth.
- Capacity Building: It emphasizes technology sharing, concessional finance, training programs, and infrastructure support to enhance partners’ capabilities.
- Security Cooperation: MAHASAGAR promotes joint maritime surveillance, coordinated patrols, and enhanced naval collaboration to address non‑traditional threats.

What is the AIKEYME Exercise?

About: AIKEYME stands for Africa‑India Key Maritime Engagement, a multilateral naval exercise symbolising “unity” in Sanskrit and emphasising deep maritime cooperation between India and African nations.
Launch: The inaugural edition was held from 13 to 18 April 2025 in Dar‑es‑Salaam, Tanzania, marking the first large‑scale joint maritime engagement between India and Africa.
Co‑hosts: AIKEYME is co‑hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF), demonstrating shared strategic leadership.
Phases: The exercise ran for six days, divided into a Harbour Phase (tabletop drills, piracy responses) and a Sea Phase (search and rescue, VBSS operations).
Participating Nations: A total of 11 countries took part: India, Tanzania, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and South Africa.
Indian Naval Assets: India deployed INS Chennai (guided‑missile destroyer), INS Kesari (landing ship tank), and INS Sunayna, enhancing operational reach.