The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in its Annual Report for 2024, has spotlighted India’s expanding engagement across the Indo-Pacific, guided by its maritime vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). The report reaffirms India’s commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific, grounded in respect for sovereignty, peaceful dispute resolution, and international law.
According to the MEA, India’s goal is a multi-dimensional partnership with Indo-Pacific nations that spans political, economic, security, and socio-cultural areas, aimed at regional peace and prosperity.
The report highlights several key milestones:
- Ten years of the Act East Policy, with ASEAN continuing to play a central role.
- Upgrading India-ASEAN ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the 21st India-ASEAN Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit (EAS) in October 2024, where he emphasized ASEAN centrality, counterterrorism, cyber security, and international rule-based order.
India has deepened engagement with various regional platforms such as:
- ASEAN, EAS, IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), ASEM, MGC (Mekong-Ganga Cooperation), IOC, ACMECS, and IMT-GT.
- As Vice-Chair of IORA (2023–2025) and an observer in the Indian Ocean Commission, India is actively leading regional projects on maritime security, safety, and the Blue Economy.
- The Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) launched in 2019, which covers seven key pillars including maritime connectivity and sustainable marine resource use, has seen support from UK, Australia, and Japan.
India’s efforts in sub-regional cooperation are also expanding. Under MGC, India chairs important working groups and has sanctioned 121 Quick Impact Projects. The launch of the MGC Business Council and tech-focused projects further cement India’s leadership.
In 2024, India hosted the first Early Harvest Project under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) after joining as its first Development Partner in 2022.
The report also mentions Prime Minister Modi’s March 2025 unveiling of the MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) doctrine in Mauritius, which builds upon the SAGAR vision to broaden regional cooperation.
India’s Indo-Pacific strategy, based on Neighbourhood First, SAGAR, and MAHASAGAR, portrays the country as both a first responder in regional crises and a net security provider, actively working towards inclusive growth, regional stability, and sustainable development across the Indo-Pacific.
