Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kesari recently docked at the Port of Maputo, Mozambique to deliver a shipment of 500 tonnes of food aid. This humanitarian effort comes in response to the existing drought and current pandemic conditions faced by the country. The Indian government also sent two fast interceptor craft and self-defence military equipment to Mozambique. This mission falls under the Prime Minister’s vision of Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) and has been coordinated with numerous Indian agencies including the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Conception and Implementation of Mission Sagar
‘Mission Sagar’ was initiated in May 2020 as an Indian endeavor to aid countries within the Indian Ocean Littoral states during the Covid-19 pandemic. The nations receiving assistance include Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, and Seychelles. To carry out ‘Mission Sagar’, the Indian Navy dispatches its ships to deliver medical supplies and humanitarian aid to these countries and beyond.
Indian Navy has successfully delivered more than 3,000 metric tons of food aid, 300 metric tons of liquid medical oxygen, 900 oxygen concentrators, and 20 ISO containers to 15 friendly foreign countries under the mission. Mission Sagar-II, implemented in November 2020, saw INS Airavat deliver food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, and Eritrea.
The ongoing Mission Sagar-III is an extension of India’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Aid has so far been delivered to Vietnam and Cambodia. This underlines the importance India places on ASEAN countries, simultaneously strengthening existing relationships.
The Importance of the Deployments
These deployments are a testament to India’s solidarity with its extended Maritime Neighbourhood. They highlight India’s readiness to aid friendly nations during times of crisis, reinforcing the significance India places on its special relationships. The equipment provided is particularly useful for Mozambique as it helps tackle terrorism in its north, especially from the Islamic State, also known as Da’esh, which has rapidly spread in Central Africa.
The initiative also helps counter common maritime challenges such as traditional maritime conflicts between nation-states, environmental threats, illicit maritime trades and trafficking, and threats by non-state actors like maritime terrorism and piracy. These issues were even more prominently discussed at the second edition of the Goa Maritime Conclave in November 2021, a meeting that convenes countries in the Indian Ocean Region.
The Vision of ‘SAGAR’
The strategic vision of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ or SAGAR was introduced in 2015. Its core objective is to enhance economic and security cooperation with neighbouring maritime countries while aiding in building their maritime security capabilities.
India, through SAGAR, aims to protect its national interests, ensure the Indian Ocean region remains inclusive and collaborative, and upholds international law. The relevance of SAGAR is accentuated when viewed alongside India’s other policies affecting the maritime domain such as Act East Policy, Project Sagarmala, Project Mausam, its role as a ‘net security provider’, and focus on Blue Economy.
