A Decade of India's Evolving Naval Diplomacy: From SAGAR to MAHASAGAR

NEW DELHI, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Over the past decade, the Indian Navy and India’s maritime philosophy have undergone one of the most significant strategic evolutions in the nation’s modern diplomatic history. From an IOR centric focus in 2015 with the vision SAGAR to the broader, global outlook integrated in the concept of MAHASAGAR. This transformation reflects India’s rising maritime capabilities and signals the Indian Navy’s expanding role as a security provider and cooperative partner across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) was first articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 during a visit to Mauritius. The policy highlighted India’s intent to strengthen the integral elements of maritime diplomacy – security cooperation, economic integration, and sustainable development across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Rooted in principles of mutual respect and shared prosperity, SAGAR aimed to position India as a ‘net security provider’ in its maritime neighbourhood, the Indian Ocean region, building on the country’s history of promoting peace and capitalising its strategic geography.

For a decade, SAGAR drove a range of diplomatic and security engagements. India expanded its maritime domain awareness through institutions like the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), facilitating real-time information sharing with partner nations. The Indian Navy enhanced its presence through joint exercises, capacity-building programs, coordinated patrols, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions contributing to safer sea lanes and stronger regional trust.

However, the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Indo-Pacific, marked by intensifying strategic competition and increased maritime activity, prompted a realignment of India’s ocean diplomacy. In March 2025, again in Mauritius, Prime Minister Modi unveiled the MAHASAGAR vision — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. This new doctrine retains the foundational goals of SAGAR but extends them into a more ambitious, globally oriented maritime strategy.

Unlike SAGAR’s primarily regional and security-centric approach, MAHASAGAR integrates economic diplomacy, technological connectivity, environmental sustainability, and broader geopolitical outreach into India’s maritime engagement. It seeks to advance cooperative frameworks that transcend the Indian Ocean, engaging partners in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the wider Global South in shared security, trade, and sustainable development initiatives.

A defining demonstration of this expanded naval diplomacy is Milan 2026 . Hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam, Milan 2026 represents one of the largest multilateral naval gatherings in the region. Originally conceived in the 1990s as a modest biennial exercise among friendly navies, Milan has evolved into a major platform for maritime cooperation, interoperability, and strategic dialogue. The 2026 edition of the event reflects the MAHASAGAR ethos, bringing together a wide spectrum of Indo-Pacific and Global South navies for complex exercises, professional exchanges, and coordinated maritime security drills.

Exercise Milan 2026 is significant for its scale, and for its symbolism. It highlights India’s transition from participant to an enabler who shapes maritime norms, encourages operational synergy, and reinforces a rules-based order at sea. By integrating tactical exercises with strategic-level discussions on maritime security, blue economy cooperation, and humanitarian coordination, this prestigious maritime event embodies the holistic vision that MAHASAGAR promotes.

India’s naval diplomacy under these evolving frameworks also finds expression in expanded joint exercises, strategic port calls, and collaborations with island states like Seychelles and Maldives that combine infrastructure support, defence cooperation, and economic engagement. Such efforts exemplify India’s growing confidence in maritime diplomacy as a tool for peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

In essence, the transition from SAGAR to MAHASAGAR marks a decade of strategic maturation, shifting India from a regional security partner to a proactive architect of a cooperative maritime order that spans oceans. Through initiatives like Exercise Milan 2026, India is not only safeguarding sea lanes but also shaping the future of maritime governance in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Websites
Official event page — ifrmilan26.com
Indian Navy website — https://indiannavy.gov.in/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/IndianNavy/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/indiannavy/
X — https://x.com/IndiannavyMedia
YouTube — http://www.youtube.com/@IndianNavyOfficialChannel

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