The Indian Government launched a COVID-19 relief mission for countries in the Indian Ocean such as Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Madagascar, etc. Note that Mission Sagar is different from SAGAR, which is a policy doctrine for maritime cooperation.

Keep reading to know more about Mission Sagar.

India decided to launch this mission to provide critical aid to certain Indian Ocean countries and fulfil the aim of the SAGAR policy.

Note that Mission Sagar and the SAGAR policy doctrine are essentially linked. Further, this mission came about as an offshoot of the SAGAR policy for maritime cooperation.

Mission Sagar 2, 3, and 4 followed the first mission.

Mission Sagar has 2 primary objectives. They are as follows -

• Fulfil the goals for economic and security cooperation between India and its neighbouring countries under the SAGAR policy.
• Provide essential aid to maritime neighbours.

Now let’s take a detailed look at the various editions of Mission Sagar.

Mission Sagar l

Under this mission, INS Kesari left India with food, medicines and medical teams. In Sri Lanka, however, the Indian Air Force airlifted supplies. 

INS Kesari returned to India on 28th June 2020.

• Date: 10th May 2020
• Ship: INS Kesari
• Countries Visited: Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros and La Reunion.

Mission Sagar ll

The Indian Navy left to deliver food to certain East African countries. The visit aimed to strengthen ties with these countries as they sit on an important trade route of the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Moreover, there was also a humanitarian aspect to the visit. This concerned extending assistance to help neighbouring countries overcome natural disasters.

• Date: November 2020
• Ship: INS Airavat
• Countries Visited: Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti

Mission Sagar lll

This Indian Navy vessel carried around 15 tonnes of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) to Cambodia and Vietnam following floods in those countries. This mission aimed to show that India was a dependable and friendly partner to the South East Asian Countries and the first responder to the disaster.

• Date: December 2020
• Ship: INS Kiltan
• Countries Visited: Cambodia and Vietnam

Mission Sagar lV

Under this mission, the Indian Navy delivered 1000 metric tons of rice to the island nation of Comoros. Earlier, it had visited the country to provide medical assistance and medicine as well.

• Date: March 2021
• Ship: INS Jalashwa
• Countries Visited: Port Anjouan, Comoros.

The following are some key features of Mission Sagar.

• It is a milestone in India’s engagement with countries in the Indian Ocean following the SAGAR policy.
• India provided food, medicines and medical assistance to countries in the Indian Ocean.
• The mission sealed India’s reputation as a friendly country, a first responder and a dependable and strategic partner.

Listed below are some of the benefits of Mission Sagar.

• India successfully safeguarded land and maritime interests.
• It also deepened security and economic cooperation.
• Moreover, India also built trust among its neighbouring countries.

Mission Sagar was a success on the part of India to engage with and promote cooperation with its neighbours. Moreover, India aims to dispel China’s string of pearls doctrine and the creation of clout in the region.