The Ministry of Defence's Indian Navy successfully completed a month-long deployment under its Sagar Mission, a maritime initiative that focuses on reinforcing India's commitment to regional security and collaborative maritime cooperation. The mission, involving Indian and nine friendly foreign countries from the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), was flagged off by the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri, with Vice Admiral V Srinivas serving as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command.
The deployment included a series of key activities such as joint naval exercises, professional cultural exchanges, and joint EEZ surveillance in regions like Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius, Seychelles, and the Maldives. It also underscored India's commitment to safeguarding collective maritime interests, capacity building, and fostering enduring partnership with IOR nations.
Port calls were made at international ports including DaresSalaam, Nacala, Port Louis, Port Victoria, and Male. During these visits, collaborative activities aimed at promoting operational synergy and interoperability took place. For instance, joint engagements in Maldives showcased the integration of Indian Navy capabilities alongside those from partnering nations.
The deployment exemplified the spirit of international maritime cooperation through shared training experiences, best practice exchanges, and enhancing mutual understanding among allied navies. It emphasized India's role as a reliable security partner in the region, aligning with strategic initiatives like Mahasagara for mutual advancement and securing areas across the IOR. The successful completion marked a new chapter in maritime cooperation, highlighting India's enduring commitment to regional stability and security.
This mission was particularly significant for the international crew from nine partner nations who jointly manned the ship alongside Indian Navy personnel, embodying the collaborative spirit of 'One Ocean One Mission'.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Defence: The government ministry responsible for defense.
INS SUNAYNA: An Indian Naval Ship (INS).
IOS SAGAR: Indian Ocean Ship Sagar; an Indian Naval initiative involving joint crewing by multiple IOR navies.
Kochi: A city in India, likely a naval base location.
India: The country leading the initiative.
Regional Security: The concept of maintaining security in the Indian Ocean Region.
Collaborative Maritime Cooperation: Cooperation between countries in maritime activities.
MAHASAGAR: A vision or mission statement, possibly related to maritime security.
Sagar Mission: A mission related to the MAHASAGAR vision, focused on maritime engagement with neighboring countries.
Maritime Neighbours: Countries sharing maritime borders with India in the IOR.
IOR: Indian Ocean Region.
Indian Navy: The naval force of India.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi - likely the source of the information.
SW IOR: South West Indian Ocean Region.
Vice Admiral V Srinivas: Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.
Southern Naval Command: A command of the Indian Navy.
Hon'ble Raksha Mantri: The Minister of Defence.
Shri Rajnath Singh: The individual holding the position of Minister of Defence.
Karwar: A location from where the IOS Sagar was flagged off.
DaresSalaam: A port city where the ship made a port call.
Nacala: A port city where the ship made a port call.
Port Louis: A port city where the ship made a port call.
Port Victoria: A port city where the ship made a port call.
Male: A port city where the ship made a port call.
Tanzania: An IOR nation that participated in joint naval exercises.
Mozambique: An IOR nation where collaborative activities were held.
Mauritius: An IOR nation where the crew had engagement with the Mauritius Police Force and undertook coordinated patrol with the Mauritius Coast Guard.
Seychelles: An IOR nation visited by the ship.
AIKEYME 2025: A joint naval exercise hosted by India and Tanzania.
INS Chennai: An Indian Naval Ship that participated in AIKEYME 2025.
INS Kesari: An Indian Naval Ship that participated in AIKEYME 2025.
Mauritius Police Force: The police force of Mauritius.
Mauritius Coast Guard: The coast guard of Mauritius.
Seychelles Defence Force: The defence force of Seychelles.
Maldives: An IOR nation where the ship held a collaborative maritime security and regional outreach mission.
Comoros: One of the partner nations in the IOS Sagar initiative.
Kenya: One of the partner nations in the IOS Sagar initiative.
Madagascar: One of the partner nations in the IOS Sagar initiative.
Sri Lanka: One of the partner nations in the IOS Sagar initiative.
SNC: Southern Naval Command, Kochi, where the combined harbour and sea training phase occurred.
Gol: Government of India.
Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Region: Expansion of the acronym MAHASAGAR, describing a strategic vision.
VMSKS 10125: Likely an internal code or identifier.
Release ID: 2127730: The release ID of the news.
Ministry of Defence
INS SUNAYNA (IOS SAGAR) RETURNS TO KOCHI
ON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF MONTH
LONG DEPLOYMENT
IOS Sagar - A significant step in reinforcing India's
commitment to Regional Security and Collaborative
Maritime Cooperation reflecting the vision of
MAHASAGAR
Sagar Mission reaffirms India's continued
engagement with Maritime Neighbours towards
building stronger ties and working towards a safer,
more inclusive & secure IOR
Indian Navy strengthening Maritime Bonds, Capacity
Building and Enduring Partnership with IOR Nations
Posted On: 08 MAY 2025 5:43PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Navy's maiden initiative of Indian Ocean Ship Sagar, jointly crewed by personnel from nine IOR
Navies, concluded its month long deployment in SW IOR region and returned to Kochi on 08 May 25. Vice
Admiral V Srinivas, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command congratulated the
crew of India and nine friendly foreign countries during the grand reception ceremony held at Naval Base,
Kochi. The successful completion of the deployment marks a new chapter in maritime cooperation and
underscores India's commitment to safeguarding collective maritime interests, capacity building and enduring
partnership with IOR nations.
IOS Sagar was flagged off by the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh from Karwar on 05
Apr 25. During the deployment, the ship undertook port calls at Dar-es-Salaam, Nacala, Port
Louis, Port Victoria and Male. The key highlights of the mission included joint naval exercises,
professional & cultural exchanges and joint EEZ surveillance of key IOR nations - Tanzania,
Mozambique, Mauritius & Seychelles. Strengthening regional maritime cooperation between
India and African nations, the ship participated in AIKEYME 2025 alongside INS Chennai & INS
Kesari, which was jointly hosted by India and Tanzania from 13 - 18 Apr 25. The exercise provided
an opportunity for the crew of lOS Sagar to participate in the joint harbour phase and interact with
the participating Navies. At Mozambique, a range of collaborative activities and communityengagements were held promoting operational synergy and interoperability with the Mozambique
Navy.
Reinforcing the enduring bond between India and Mauritius, the crew of IOS Sagar had fruitful
engagement with the Mauritius Police Force and undertook coordinated patrol with the Mauritius
Coast Guard. Visit to Port Victoria, Seychelles was marked with cross deck visits, training
exchange, joint Yoga sessions and maritime engagement with Seychelles Defence Force. The ship
held collaborative maritime security and regional outreach mission at Maldives prior to entering
Kochi. This deployment exemplifies Indian Navy's continued engagement with regional Navies and
maritime security stakeholders of IOR nations to train together, exchange best practices and
enhance interoperability and mutual understanding.
It was a unique experience for the 44 international crew of nine partner nations - Comoros,
Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania
who jointly manned the ship alongside Indian Navy crew, truly signifying the motto of 'One Ocean
One Mission'. The journey of IOS Sagar which commenced with the combined harbour and sea
training phase at SNC, Kochi in Mar 25 has been truly memorable for all the crew members. The
professional and seamless integration of the international crew working together as a well knit and
cohesive team truly reflects the spirit of camaraderie and maritime friendship. The mission is a
testament to Indian Navy's commitment as the 'First Responder' and 'Preferred Security Partner'
in IOR towards the Gol's strategic vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for
Security Across the Region)._____________________________________________________________
VM/SKS 101/25
(Release ID: 2127730)