India's Maritime Pivot: From Sagar to Mahasagar with Africa on Sight

Under the Mahasagar framework, India launched two critical initiatives: the Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) naval exercise and the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar mission. Scheduled to take place from 13 April to 18 April 2025, AIKEYME is a landmark joint naval exercise co-hosted by India and Tanzania off Dar-es-Salaam.

- ASHISH SINGH

Over a decade ago, on 12 March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined New Delhi's prescient maritime doctrine of SAGAR—Security and Growth for All in the Region—during a landmark visit to Mauritius. At its core, SAGAR was an articulation of India's historical and cultural maritime identity, merged with a clear-eyed strategic aspiration for regional stability, security, and collective prosperity. A decade on, SAGAR has evolved substantially, maturing into a broader vision called MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security And Growth Across Regions), announced by Modi in March 2025 in Mauritius itself.

This progression is not mere rhetorical evolution. SAGAR was about nurturing a neighbourhood-first maritime policy, a conscious pivot from India's historically continental mindset towards the seas. MAHASAGAR extends this maritime vision outward, explicitly encompassing the greater Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Indo-Pacific, and Africa. Today, as India deepens its naval diplomacy, Africa emerges as the new strategic frontier, the gateway to India's broader ambitions as a credible and preferred security partner in the Global South.

Rise of Sagar From its inception, SAGAR had a comprehensive vision: promoting trust, adhering to international maritime laws, and establishing robust naval cooperation. Its principles aligned naturally with India's ancient maritime traditions of peaceful coexistence and regional interdependence. A significant player in implementing this vision has been the Indian Navy, which swiftly moved from being a regional maritime force to a trusted partner capable of delivering diplomatic dividends, security assistance, and humanitarian relief.