MAHASAGAR INITIATIVE

       From SAGAR to MAHASAGAR

1. 2015 – Launch of SAGAR:

1. During his visit to Mauritius in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the SAGAR vision, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region.
    
2. This initiative focused on strengthening maritime cooperation with India’s immediate Indian Ocean neighbours, promoting regional stability, mutual security, economic development, and disaster response.

2. 2025 – Evolution into MAHASAGAR:
   1. A decade later, during his 2025 visit to Mauritius, PM Modi upgraded this vision to MAHASAGAR, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
       
   2. This expanded doctrine goes beyond the Indian Ocean, aiming to deepen India’s engagement with the entire Global South through broader cooperation in security, trade, capacity building, digital infrastructure, and sustainable development

Comparison between SAGAR and MAHASAGAR initiative

Aspect	SAGAR (2015)	MAHASAGAR (2025)
Full Form	Security and Growth for All in the Region	Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
Announced By	PM Narendra Modi in Mauritius, March 2015	PM Narendra Modi in Mauritius, March 2025
Scope	Focused primarily on India’s immediate maritime neighbourhood	Broader scope including the entire Global South and wider Indian Ocean Region (IOR & beyond)
Focus Areas	Maritime security, economic cooperation, disaster response, climate resilience	Mutual security, development cooperation, digital public infrastructure, trade in local currencies
Key Partners	Indian Ocean littoral states (e.g., Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles)	African nations, island countries, and extended IOR & Global South partners
Strategic Intent	Promote India as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean	Position India as a global development and security partner, especially for the Global South
Examples of Initiatives	IFC-IOR, hydrographic surveys, joint patrols, HADR operations	AIKEYME wargame, IOS Sagar deployment, concessional loans, training civil servants, satellite support
Underlying Philosophy	Secure and cooperative maritime environment for regional stability	Shared prosperity through holistic regional cooperation in security, growth, and governance
New Additions	–	Tech-sharing, AI cooperation, ocean economy, climate monitoring, white shipping, satellite missions

Key Military Initiatives under MAHASAGAR

1. EXERCISE ALKEYME

1. AIKEYME stands for Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement.
2. It is a maritime exercise between India and African nations in the Western Indian Ocean Region.
3. The name AIKEYME is derived from Sanskrit and means “unity.”
4. It was launched under India’s MAHASAGAR vision.
5. The objective is to enhance maritime cooperation, joint preparedness, and interoperability.
6. The first edition was held from 13 to 18 April 2025.
7. It was co-hosted by India and the Tanzania People’s Defence Force.
8. The Indian Navy and ten African countries participated: Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania.
1. The exercise included two phases: harbour phase and sea phase.
10. The harbour phase involved table-top and command-post exercises, seamanship training, and VBSS (Visit, Board, Search & Seizure).
11. The sea phase included search and rescue operations, small-arms firing, VBSS drills, helicopter operations, and joint patrols.
50. AIKEYME is expected to become a biennial event.
1000. Future editions may include West African countries.
14. The exercise strengthens India’s role as a preferred security partner and first responder in the Indian Ocean.
15. It supports India’s vision of a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region.

2. INDIAN OCEAN SHIP (IOS) SAGAR INITIATIVE

1. INS Sunayna will be deployed across the southwest Indian Ocean.
2. The ship will have a joint crew from India and nine partner nations: Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.
3. The deployment will include port calls at Dar es Salaam, Nacala, Port Louis, Port Victoria, and Male.
4. During the mission, joint surveillance operations will be conducted in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
5. Capacity Building and Training
6. Naval officers from participating countries will undergo a two-week training program at a naval school in Kochi.
7. The training will focus on whole-ship tasks, watchkeeping, seamanship, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), and command-post drills.
8. Trainees will observe the harbour phase of Exercise AIKEYME in Dar es Salaam.
1. After the training, they will join the deployment aboard INS Sunayna.
10. The program aims to enhance interoperability and skill development among African maritime forces.