From the SAGAR Vision to the MAHASAGAR Initiative and India - Sri Lanka maritime security cooperation

Abstract

After 10 years of implementing the SAGAR Vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region), in March 2025, during Prime Minister N. Modi’s visit to Mauritius, India announced its upgrade of the SAGAR Vision to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advencement for Security and Growth Across Regions). This initiative partly helps India assert its maritime power in the Indian Ocean and find suitable solutions to address maritime security challenges. In this process, Sri Lanka has become an important factor for India to achieve the goals of MAHASAGAR Initiative. Based on methods of generalizing and analyzing available sources, the paper suggests that, the current status of India’s maritime security cooperation with Sri Lanka under the SAGAR framework is the foundation for India’s expansion of multi-sectoral, multi-sea space, multi-partner cooperation at sea under the MAHASAGAR Initiative.