India's Maritime Security Doctrine
SAGAR to IPOI to MAHASAGAR
India's maritime security framework has evolved through three conceptual phases. SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), outlined by PM Modi in March 2015 in Mauritius, emphasised cooperative security, capacity building, and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean. The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), launched at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok in November 2019, expanded this to a seven-pillar framework for practical cooperation across the wider Indo-Pacific. In March 2025, India launched MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), extending the vision to the Global South.
- SAGAR (2015): Five pillars — maritime safety, economic cooperation, regional connectivity, sustainable development, disaster relief; focused on Indian Ocean Region
- IPOI (2019): Seven pillars — maritime security, maritime ecology, maritime resources, capacity building, disaster risk reduction, S&T cooperation, trade and transport; non-treaty, voluntary framework at East Asia Summit
- MAHASAGAR (2025): Broader vision encompassing traditional and non-traditional security, trade connectivity, and capacity-building for the Global South
- India is a founding member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA, 1997) and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS, 2008)
● Tracked since February 19, 2026 · last seen April 23, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes