By the Mahasagar: India at the Helm of Regional Unity

Analysis

By Angana Guha Roy

The Indian Navy recently launched its maiden initiatives of IOS SAGAR and AIKEYME. The initiative launched under the tagline of ‘One Ocean One Mission’ in conjunction with India’s other maritime policies, the Act East Policy, Project Sagarmala, and Project Mausam, reinforces the centrality of maritime security in India’s broader security paradigm. India’s ‘equal maritime’ strategy commits to the value of a “free, open and rules-based order” ocean theatre.

The Indian Navy continues to play an integral role in safeguarding national interests in line with India’s larger maritime strategic goals and objectives. It has collaborated with the navies of Indian Ocean Region countries on several initiatives, such as joint naval exercises, coordinated patrols, information sharing, HADR efforts, capacity building, and other diplomatic engagements. Under Mission Sagar, India has provided COVID-19-related assistance to West Indian Ocean Region countries, including food aid, medicines, and the deployment of medical assistance teams. India offers training equipment to the coastal guards and navies of Western Indian Ocean Region countries to enhance their maritime capabilities. India’s renewed emphasis on its vision of an ‘inclusive’ maritime theatre is reflected in its recent “AIKEYME” mission that denotes unity in Sanskrit.

India’s central position in the Indian Ocean Region amidst the main International Shipping Lanes (ISL) accords a distinct advantage. The Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) 2025, inaugurated on April 25 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, is yet another step towards expanding the Indian Navy’s Operational footprint in the West Indian Ocean region as “Net Security Provider’ and “First Responder’ while projecting operational agility and full-spectrum capabilities.

The Western Indian Ocean Region is rapidly emerging as a critical nexus of geopolitical and economic activity connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe through vital sea routes and trade corridors.  It is home to vital trade routes and chokepoints that are significant for global trade, including the Cape of Good Hope and the Mozambique Channel, which carries about 30% of global trade. The region is a key area for Indo-Pacific Cooperation, with initiatives like the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC_IOR) and QUAD facilitating information exchange.

India's step forward to elevate its maritime posture comes when China is seeking to boost its influence in the region by setting up military bases, asserting maritime claims and forcing strategic concessions from vulnerable states. Without naming China in a recent statement, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that ‘no nation in the Indian Ocean suppresses another based on its overwhelming economy and military power’.

China has been steadily increasing its footprint in the West Indian Ocean Region, directly challenging the balance of power in the ocean theatre. The Western Indian Ocean sub-region comprises five nation-states: Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros, along with the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Reunion. The diversity of the geography represents a strategic challenge when it comes to attracting the attention of various international actors, thereby creating space for China. China has already invested in a range of projects, which in turn impact the geostrategic interests of India.

This region is significant to India’s economic, security, and trade interests. The economic value of ocean-related activities in the Western Indian Ocean region, or the "gross marine product", is estimated at US$20.8 billion annually. Building bridges of connectivity through various initiatives can bridge the gap between the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, fostering cooperation through initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

India holds a military base in Madagascar while working closely with one of its ‘strongest maritime partners’, Mauritius, to set up a military base in Agalega, which is critical to neutralize growing Chinese advances in the region. The region is also critical to the success of India's Deep Ocean Mission and Blue Economy 2.0 Initiatives. Home to significant connectivity trade routes like the Suez Canal, which hosts 90 % of the energy trade, India's engagement in the region can help enhance India's image and influence as a regional power.

India’s decade-old SAGAR strategy has evolved to MAHASAGAR, a deeper articulation of India’s commitment to regional cooperation with a stronger focus on capacity building, economic interlinkages and collaborative maritime governance. During his recent visit to Mauritius, PM Modi launched India’s Vision of Mahasagar. IOS Sagar is an initiative towards continued cooperation with IOR nations in pursuance of India’s vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for security across the region (Mahasagar). IOS Sagar also enhances India’s role as a preferred security partner and first responder in the region. Most importantly, IOS Sagar is a physical manifestation of India’s “Neighborhood First’ approach policy. 

India is asserting itself as a preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean. In light of traditional and non-traditional challenges, India has accelerated its Ocean diplomacy, strengthening bridges of cooperation with its maritime neighbors. In the past few months, PM Modi visited India’s important maritime neighboring nations, including Mauritius, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, in accordance with India’s Neighborhood First and Act East Policy. The joint statements reiterated India’s commitment to ‘countering maritime challenges and safeguarding the larger strategic interests in the region’.

India’s renewed attention towards "Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions” requires political will and effective communication between partnering nations. India’s string of partnerships in the Indian Ocean Region is founded on its policy of peace through strength and deterrence. Resilient bilateral and stable multilateral partnerships will further ensure more effective resolution building towards a free, open, and safe Indo-Pacific.

Disclaimer: This paper is the author's individual scholastic contribution and does not necessarily reflect the organization's viewpoint.