SAGAR: India’s Vision for Maritime Diplomacy and Indo-Pacific Cooperation
“Security and Growth for All in the Region—this is the spirit that must guide us across the vast blue waters that connect, not divide us.” — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 2015
The concept of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is a maritime doctrine unveiled by India in 2015 to assert its growing influence, responsibilities, and partnerships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond. It reflects India’s commitment to regional peace, prosperity, and sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific through maritime cooperation, capacity-building, and collective security frameworks.
SAGAR is not just a slogan—it is India’s strategic vision to transform its maritime neighbourhood into a zone of mutual trust, economic opportunity, and environmental harmony.
🌊 What is SAGAR?
- Full Form: Security and Growth for All in the Region
- Launched: March 2015, during PM Modi’s visit to Seychelles
- Scope: Primarily the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), later extended to broader Indo-Pacific
- Philosophy: Cooperative, inclusive, and capacity-enhancing maritime policy
🌐 Strategic Context and Evolution
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2015 | SAGAR doctrine announced in Seychelles |
| 2018 | Indo-Pacific Division set up in MEA |
| 2020 | India outlines Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) |
| 2021 | SAGAR framework aligned with QUAD, IORA, and BIMSTEC priorities |
| 2022 | India launches International Solar Alliance (maritime renewables synergy) |
🚢 Core Pillars of SAGAR
- Anti-piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling, terrorism
- White Shipping Agreements and coastal radar networks
- Sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, port development, shipping logistics
- Promotes maritime trade corridors and digital economy integration
- Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions
- Training, skill development, hydrographic surveys
- Projects like Chabahar Port (Iran), Sittwe Port (Myanmar), Trilateral Highway
- Linkages with BIMSTEC, IORA, and ASEAN
- Ocean pollution monitoring, coral reef protection, marine biodiversity
- Supports blue carbon and renewable ocean energy
🛰️ Key Initiatives and Tools under SAGAR
- Mission Sagar I–V (2020–2022): COVID-related humanitarian outreach to Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros
- Integrated Coastal Surveillance System (ICSS): Real-time vessel tracking with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles
- Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR): Located in Gurgaon for regional maritime domain awareness
- SAGAR-MALA and PM Gati Shakti: Coastal infrastructure and logistics reform
- SAGAR-SETU app: Real-time port communication platform
India’s Regional and Global Engagement via SAGAR
- Bilateral Maritime Exercises: SIMBEX (Singapore), SLINEX (Sri Lanka), DOSTI (Maldives)
- Engagement with QUAD (India, Japan, USA, Australia) and IPOI (Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative)
- Cooperation with African Union and Indian Ocean Commission
- Enhancing presence in UN’s International Seabed Authority
📈 Multidimensional Impact of SAGAR
🛡️ Security:
- Improved regional preparedness against transnational maritime threats
- Boosts India's soft and hard naval power
💰 Economic:
- Maritime trade contributes >95% of India’s external trade by volume
- Blue Economy estimated to add $125 billion to GDP by 2030
- Investment in port modernization, coastal economic zones
🌱 Environmental:
- Synergy with Deep Ocean Mission, LiFE Mission, and International Solar Alliance
- Monitoring of marine heatwaves, oil spills, rising sea levels
🤝 Diplomacy:
- Enhances India’s leadership in Indo-Pacific regional architecture
- SAGAR complements India’s Act East, Neighbourhood First, and Look West policies
🔍 Challenges in Implementation
- Maritime domain awareness gaps in eastern and western flanks
- Competition from China’s Maritime Silk Road and naval expansion
- Limited institutional funding and naval assets for pan-regional coverage
- Political instability in partner island nations
- Environmental threats like coral bleaching, sea-level rise, marine debris
🔮 Way Forward: Strategic Priorities
- Institutionalise SAGAR Fund for Blue Economy innovation and regional assistance
- Expand IFC-IOR integration with ASEAN, East Africa, and Gulf nations
- Co-develop green shipping corridors, coastal clean energy hubs
- Formalize SAGAR’s legal framework under UNCLOS and IORA charter
- Elevate maritime education via SAGAR Maritime University
🏁 Conclusion: India’s Blue Frontier Vision
"The seas must unite us, not divide us." — PM Modi, SAGAR Declaration 2015
As the maritime domain becomes increasingly critical to geopolitics, trade, and climate resilience, SAGAR presents India’s vision of inclusive regionalism anchored in trust, development, and stewardship. It reflects India’s maturity as a maritime power committed to global good, one that sees oceans not just as boundaries, but as bridges.
