18 March 2026·PIB

INDIAN NAVY CONTINUES IOS SAGAR INITIATIVE TO STRENGTHEN MARITIME PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIAN OCEAN NATIONS

In this note

1. At a Glance

IOS SAGAR = Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR, a deployment of an Indian Naval ship with sea-riders from Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs) of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), training and sailing together [1].
Operationalises India's SAGAR vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and its evolved doctrine MAHASAGAR — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions [1].
2nd edition (Mar–Apr 2026) is significant because India has just assumed Chairmanship of IONS (Feb 2026) [1].

2nd edition of IOS SAGAR commenced on 16 March 2026; flagged off from Mumbai on 02 April 2026 by RRM Shri Sanjay Seth [1].
Edition covers 16 IONS nations with 38 FFC personnel embarked; port calls at Male, Phuket, Jakarta, Singapore, Yangon, Chittagong and Colombo [1].
Comes on the back of India taking IONS Chair from Royal Thai Navy in Feb 2026, return to the helm after 16 years [1].

SAGAR vision articulated by PM Modi at Mauritius, March 2015 during INS Barracuda commissioning.
IONS founded 2008 at India's initiative as a voluntary IOR naval cooperation forum.
IOS SAGAR maiden edition: INS Sunayna (Offshore Patrol Vessel) flagged off from Karwar, 05 April 2025 by RM Shri Rajnath Singh with 44 personnel from 9 nations — Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tanzania [2].
1st edition port calls: Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania), Nacala (Mozambique), Port Louis (Mauritius), Port Victoria (Seychelles) [2].
MAHASAGAR doctrine announced by PM Modi during Mauritius visit, March 2025, expanding SAGAR beyond IOR [1].

Implementing body: Indian Navy / Ministry of Defence [1].
Parent diplomatic frameworks: SAGAR (2015), MAHASAGAR (2025) [1].
Multilateral umbrella: Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) — India is Chair Feb 2026 onward [1].
2nd edition platform: undisclosed; embarks 38 sea-riders from 16 IONS countries [1].
Ports of call (2026): Male, Phuket, Jakarta, Singapore, Yangon, Chittagong, Colombo [1].
Training modules (carried over from Edition 1): firefighting, damage control, VBSS (Visit, Board, Search & Seizure), bridge ops, seamanship, engine room management, boat handling [2].

Geopolitical / Strategic

Counters extra-regional naval presence (esp. PLAN) by deepening interoperability with littorals [1].
Twin pillar with AIKEYME (Africa India Key Maritime Engagement) — together announced as maiden initiatives in 2025 [2].
Operationalises India's "Preferred Security Partner" and "First Responder" identity in IOR [1].

Administrative / Operational

Unique because FFC personnel sail onboard for the full deployment, not just port-visit familiarisation — capacity building at sea, not symbolic [1].

Economic

Supports India's SLOC security (≈80% of crude imports transit IOR), protects blue economy and shipping lanes implicit in SAGAR [1].

Historical / Diplomatic

India's IONS chairmanship return after 16 years (prior 2008–10) restores agenda-setting power within the only IOR-wide naval forum [1].

05 Apr 2025: 1st IOS SAGAR flagged off, Karwar, by RM Rajnath Singh [2].
Mar 2025: MAHASAGAR doctrine articulated [1].
Feb 2026: India assumes IONS Chair from Royal Thai Navy [1].
16 Mar 2026: 2nd edition IOS SAGAR commences [1].
02 Apr 2026: Flag-off from Mumbai by RRM Sanjay Seth [1].
IMEX TTX 2026 (IONS Maritime Exercise — Table Top) held at Southern Naval Command, Kochi [1].
India to host MILAN 2026 and International Fleet Review 2026 along with IONS Conclave of Chiefs [1].

IOS SAGAR full form: Indian Ocean Ship – Security And Growth for All in the Region [1].
Maiden IOS SAGAR ship: INS Sunayna (OPV) [2].
Maiden flag-off port: Karwar, Karnataka (05 Apr 2025) — not Mumbai [2].
2nd edition flag-off port: Mumbai (02 Apr 2026) [1].
1st edition: 44 personnel, 9 nations; 2nd edition: 38 personnel, 16 IONS nations [1][2].
SAGAR announced by PM Modi in Mauritius (2015); MAHASAGAR in Mauritius (2015 visit? — actually 2025) [1].
IONS established in 2008; India re-assumed chair Feb 2026 from Royal Thai Navy [1].
2nd edition port calls include Yangon (Myanmar) and Chittagong (Bangladesh) [1].
Companion initiative: AIKEYME (Africa India Key Maritime Engagement) [2].
Implementing ministry: Ministry of Defence (Indian Navy), not MEA [1].
Sea-rider training drills include VBSS [2].

GS-II: India and its neighbourhood; bilateral/regional groupings — IOR maritime diplomacy.
GS-III: Security challenges in maritime domain; role of external state and non-state actors.
Probable stems: 1. "IOS SAGAR operationalises the SAGAR vision in ways earlier diplomatic instruments could not. Discuss." (GS-II) 2. "Examine how India's chairmanship of IONS and initiatives like IOS SAGAR and AIKEYME advance the MAHASAGAR doctrine." (GS-II/III) 3. "Maritime capacity-building of IOR littorals is central to India's net security provider role. Evaluate." (GS-III)

SAGAR & MAHASAGAR doctrines — parent vision frameworks [1].
IONS (2008) — institutional forum India now chairs [1].
AIKEYME exercise — Africa-facing twin of IOS SAGAR [2].
MILAN 2026 / International Fleet Review 2026 — same maritime convergence cycle [1].
Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) — overlapping IOR security architecture.
QUAD & IPOI (Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative) — wider Indo-Pacific frame.
INS Sunayna / OPV fleet — platform familiarity.
Information Fusion Centre – IOR (IFC-IOR), Gurugram — sister maritime-domain awareness initiative.

SAGAR ≠ MAHASAGAR: SAGAR (2015, IOR-focused) vs MAHASAGAR (2025, "Across the Regions") [1].
IONS is a naval forum (since 2008), not to be confused with IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association, economic, 1997).
Maiden IOS SAGAR was flagged off from Karwar, not Kochi/Mumbai; 2nd edition from Mumbai [1][2].
IOS SAGAR is run by Indian Navy/MoD, not MEA, despite its diplomatic flavour.
India's IONS chair (Feb 2026) was taken over from Royal Thai Navy, not France/Iran [1].