Blue Water Bonds: Here’s How India’s IOS SAGAR Is Reshaping Maritime Security Cooperation In Indian Ocean – Analysis
Amid growing geopolitical competition in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), India’s latest maritime initiative, Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR, presents a fresh model for cooperative security.
Departing from Karwar onboard INS Sunayna, IOS SAGAR operationalises Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision, first introduced in 2015. The mission highlights India’s practical commitment to collaboratively addressing maritime threats, emphasising shared responsibility and regional integration.
From Concept to Concrete Action
A decade ago, SAGAR began as a diplomatic aspiration to foster regional cooperation, ensure maritime safety, and uphold international maritime laws. Today, its evolution into IOS SAGAR emphasises India’s commitment to proactive engagement with its neighbours. Deployed to the Southwest Indian Ocean, INS Sunayna embarks with 44 naval personnel from nine Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs)—Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. This multinational crew signifies a tangible operationalisation of India’s regional outreach.
Operational Significance
IOS SAGAR focuses on comprehensive maritime security collaboration, unlike traditional unilateral or bilateral naval exercises. Activities include joint surveillance of critical Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in Mauritius, Mozambique, and Seychelles, coupled with extensive training modules in firefighting, damage control, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), bridge operations, seamanship, engine room management, switchboard operations, and boat handling. These exercises enhance interoperability, establishing a collective capability to tackle regional maritime threats such as piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing.
By incorporating professional naval training at Indian Naval establishments in Kochi, IOS SAGAR further strengthens operational preparedness and strategic alignment across diverse naval doctrines. This capacity-building element is vital in equipping partner nations with sustainable maritime security capabilities, reinforcing the region’s collective self-reliance.
Strategic Counterbalance
Strategically, IOS SAGAR positions India as an advocate for regional solutions to regional security challenges. Amid increased extra-regional interest and potential geopolitical encroachments, the initiative directly counters narratives suggesting dependence on external powers for maritime security. IOS SAGAR exemplifies the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, empowering regional states to take ownership of their maritime zones, reinforcing sovereignty, and promoting shared prosperity.
India demonstrates leadership through this unique multilateral framework by emphasising regional inclusivity rather than dominance. This approach bolsters India’s strategic partnerships while presenting a credible alternative to the military bases and strategic footholds increasingly pursued by global powers in the Indian Ocean.
Complementing the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
IOS SAGAR aligns seamlessly with the principles and objectives of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), which India initially conceived in 2008 to foster maritime cooperation among regional navies. With India poised to resume the chairmanship of IONS in late 2025, IOS SAGAR serves as an operational complement to the strategic discussions and consensus-building that IONS promotes. IOS SAGAR demonstrates practical effectiveness by taking the ideas discussed within IONS from conceptual dialogues to real-world operations, further solidifying India’s role as a responsible maritime leader.
Ensuring a Prosperous and Secure Maritime Future
The Indian Ocean, responsible for over 80% of global oil transit, demands vigilant oversight and cooperative security mechanisms. IOS SAGAR’s inclusive and cooperative maritime security framework sets a new standard for regional collaboration. Safeguarding economic activities and reinforcing maritime governance ensure collective prosperity and regional stability.
Ultimately, IOS SAGAR embodies a strategic shift where maritime security is collaboratively managed, regional stability is collectively pursued, and economic prosperity is jointly protected. As the Indian Navy continues this path-breaking initiative, IOS SAGAR embodies a compelling vision for a stable, prosperous, and interconnected Indian Ocean region.
