The Indian Navy recently marked a significant milestone in its regional maritime outreach with the arrival of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar at Port Victoria, Seychelles, on May 1, 2025. This visit is a key component of India’s maritime diplomacy initiative known as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), highlighting the nation’s commitment to ensuring stability and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Formerly commissioned as INS Sunayna, the IOS Sagar is an Offshore Patrol Vessel that has been repurposed for the SAGAR mission. The vessel launched from the Karwar naval base on April 5, 2025, under the auspices of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. Onboard the ship are 44 naval trainees from nine Friendly Foreign Nations (FFNs): Seychelles, Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. The mission is designed to enhance maritime interoperability through joint training sessions that include firefighting, damage control, seamanship, boat handling, and Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations.
India and Seychelles enjoy a longstanding defense partnership that dates back to the latter’s independence in 1976. Throughout this partnership, India has played a crucial role in bolstering Seychelles’ maritime capabilities, providing support in patrolling its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), combating piracy, and enhancing maritime infrastructure. Significant contributions include the provision of Dornier 228 aircraft and Chetak helicopters, which have notably improved Seychelles’ maritime surveillance abilities. This current visit by IOS Sagar further solidifies India’s status as a “preferred security partner” in the Western Indian Ocean.
The SAGAR initiative, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched in 2015 during a visit to Mauritius, focuses on fostering regional collaboration, enhancing maritime capacity, and promoting economic development. The arrival of IOS Sagar is especially relevant given the increasing strategic competition in the IOR, where China is expanding its naval presence. Located strategically in the Southwestern Indian Ocean, Seychelles is central to India’s maritime strategy and vision for a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh described the SAGAR deployment as a “proud moment,” showcasing India’s leadership in cooperative maritime security efforts. This mission is particularly significant amidst escalating concerns over the strategic race for underwater resources in the IOR, fueled further by the recent discovery of a cobalt-rich undersea mountain, which has attracted intensified geopolitical interest.
Beyond defense, the relationship between India and Seychelles encompasses various sectors, including tourism, fisheries, and petroleum exploration. The visit of IOS Sagar opens new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, illustrating the effectiveness of maritime diplomacy in fostering mutual trust and capacity-building.
As IOS Sagar continues its multinational voyage, it stands as a symbol of India’s enduring vision for a secure and prosperous Indian Ocean. This mission sets a robust precedent for collaborative security frameworks and reinforces India’s role in promoting a stable maritime environment for all nations in the region.
