News Desk
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Beneath the crystal-blue expanse of the Indian Ocean, a quiet but forceful shift is underway. This week, Sri Lanka played host to a significant maritime gathering that brought together security officials and naval strategists from across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). On the sidelines of the Indian Ocean security conference, a quieter diplomatic maneuver by India was already in motion—one that underscores New Delhi’s ambitions to shape the evolving security architecture of the region.
India’s Navy had just concluded the inaugural edition of Indian Ocean Security through SAGAR (IOS SAGAR)—a month-long deployment led by the INS Sunayna in the southwest Indian Ocean. The initiative, involving naval personnel from 10 littoral states, was more than a routine patrol. It was a proof of concept: India is ready to lead.
The conference in Colombo, attended by countries like Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, and Tanzania, served as a symbolic culmination of India’s most expansive maritime outreach in recent years. In contrast to the rising great-power competition in the Indo-Pacific, India’s approach—marked by interoperability drills, humanitarian training, and joint naval exercises—is forging a different path: cooperation without coercion.
“India is not only a resident power in the Indian Ocean,” said one senior Indian naval officer who participated in the drills. “It is also a responsible partner, especially in a region that’s increasingly vulnerable to piracy, climate shocks, and geopolitical tensions.”
The IOS SAGAR initiative may seem modest in scale—one ship, 44 crew, and 10 partner nations—but its symbolism looms large.
Launched under the banner of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expanded maritime vision, now called MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement of Security and Growth for All in the Region), the initiative reaffirms India’s long-term bet on regionalism. And this bet comes at a time when trust in major global institutions is flagging and when many developing nations, particularly in Africa, are seeking alternatives to China’s increasingly assertive maritime presence.
India’s quiet but strategic outreach in the southwest Indian Ocean, specially through engagements with African partners like Mozambique, Kenya, and Comoros, signals a new axis of maritime diplomacy. It is not just about countering Chinese influence, officials insist, but about offering a credible, sustainable security alternative.
This is particularly evident in the integration of AIKEYME—the Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement—into the broader IOS SAGAR framework. The initiative has expanded India’s maritime lens beyond its traditional South Asian sphere, rooting it firmly in a larger Indo-African dynamic. The addition of Maldives and Sri Lanka into this fold further suggests that India is pushing for a truly pan-regional architecture.
The Indian Ocean’s geopolitical temperature has been steadily rising. The Red Sea crisis, Chinese port diplomacy, illegal fishing by distant-water fleets, and the increasing frequency of climate-induced disasters have exposed the vulnerability of IOR nations. As these challenges compound, smaller littoral states are looking not just for support, but for a steady partner.
India, having repeatedly deployed its navy for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief—from the 2004 tsunami to recent oil spills and cyclone responses—is positioning itself as the first responder of choice. Maritime cooperation, New Delhi argues, must go beyond the symbolism of flag waving and joint photos; it must be rooted in lived experience and mutual need.
What differentiates IOS SAGAR from other regional drills is its holistic approach. Instead of showcasing power, it prioritized capacity building: training sessions, exchange of best practices, and operational familiarization. “Interoperability is not just a buzzword,” said an African naval official who took part in the deployment. “It’s the difference between responding to a disaster in hours versus days.”
One of the most understated yet impactful aspects of India’s maritime policy is its cultural restraint. In a region long wary of external interventions—be it from former colonial powers or rising Asian giants—India’s approach has remained calibrated and respectful.
Rather than pushing unilateral agendas, unlike China, India has consistently emphasized consensus and local ownership. This is evident in how IOS SAGAR was structured—not as a show of force, but as a shared platform. “India listens,” a Sri Lankan defense analyst said. “That’s what makes its presence welcome, even in waters shared with other major players.”
Still, challenges remain. India’s naval resources are finite, and balancing its aspirations in both the western and eastern flanks of the Indian Ocean will require careful calibration. Expanding initiatives like IOS SAGAR into the eastern Indian Ocean, and potentially into Southeast Asia, will test New Delhi’s bandwidth.
As Western alliances recalibrate and China expands its blue-water capabilities, India’s maritime diplomacy offers a third way—especially appealing to the Global South. Colombo’s IOR conference was rife with cautious optimism, as smaller states saw in India’s initiatives a chance to shape the rules of regional engagement.
For India, this is more than strategic positioning—it’s an ethical imperative. The IOR is not just a theater of competition; it is home. And safeguarding it requires trust, not just treaties.
IOS SAGAR, in its debut, may not have made global headlines. But beneath its modest surface lies a powerful signal: India’s rise as a maritime actor is not rooted in force projection, but in partnership. And in an ocean increasingly defined by division, that may be the most powerful current of all.
