OPINION | From Seychelles to Colombo: India’s Maritime Diplomacy Surges Across the Indian Ocean
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
by Ashu Mann
From the docks of Salalah to the crowded streets of Colombo, India’s naval diplomacy was visible across the Indian Ocean this past week. What appeared to be a whirlwind of visits was, in reality, the result of years of patient groundwork: quiet training initiatives, humanitarian missions, and technical cooperation that rarely made headlines. Those sustained efforts are now emerging as part of a coordinated regional push.
Seychelles: A Quiet Island with Outsized Importance
If there was a surprise this week, it came from the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean. Following talks with President Patrick Herminie, India announced a $175 million special economic package for Seychelles. The announcement was accompanied by the SESEL Joint Vision, a framework focused on sustainable development and enhanced maritime surveillance.
In Victoria, Indian technical teams have become increasingly visible. Radar specialists, hydrographic surveyors, and Dornier aircraft crews now form part of the island’s expanding maritime security ecosystem. Seychelles’ decision to join the Colombo Security Conclave as a full member in 2025 has further deepened this cooperation. With extra-regional powers showing growing interest in the western Indian Ocean, the partnership has evolved into both an economic opportunity and a strategic safeguard.
Malaysia: Southeast Asia’s Maritime Crossroads
The eastern arc of India’s diplomacy unfolded in Kuala Lumpur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February 8 visit drew significant attention as India and Malaysia signed 11 agreements covering semiconductors, peacekeeping, technology transfer, and other sectors. Yet maritime cooperation remains the structural backbone of the relationship.
Exercises such as Samudra Laksamana underscore the shared understanding that regional stability requires sustained coordination rather than episodic engagement. The two countries elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024, reflecting deeper strategic convergence across trade, defense, and maritime domains.
Oman: Old Routes, New Realities
To the west, INS Sudarshini made a port call at Salalah under the Lokayan 26 expedition. Oman’s strategic value to India extends far beyond historic cultural ties. The Duqm Port arrangement, concluded in 2018, provides the Indian Navy access for logistics and maintenance operations in the western Indian Ocean, enhancing operational reach beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
Naval cooperation continues to expand under the Naseem Al Bahr exercise framework, while the Joint Vision Document on Maritime Cooperation adopted in December 2025 has provided both sides with a forward-looking roadmap. Counter-piracy operations, protection of shipping lanes, and blue economy collaboration remain central pillars of this partnership.
Sri Lanka: Relief with Strategic Undercurrents
India’s post-cyclone diplomacy was visible in Sri Lanka following External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s December 23, 2025 visit, during which India announced a $450 million reconstruction package after Cyclone Ditwah.
On February 5, 2026, INS Gharial delivered a consignment of ten Bailey bridges to Colombo, formally handing them over the same day under Operation Sagar Bandhu. The bridges are intended for deployment across various locations in the country to restore connectivity disrupted by the cyclone.
India’s humanitarian engagement in Sri Lanka spans decades. Operation Rainbow in 2004 marked a defining moment in tsunami relief cooperation. Assistance during the 2016 floods and relief deployments such as INS Kirch in 2017 reinforced that pattern. Over time, these efforts have translated into sustained trust. India has emerged as a primary partner in naval training and capacity building, contributing to the strengthening of Sri Lanka’s maritime capabilities amid intensifying geopolitical competition in the region.
A Unifying Strategy: SAGAR and MAHASAGAR
Threaded through these engagements is a shared framework: India’s doctrine of SAGAR, Security and Growth for All in the Region, and its expanded MAHASAGAR vision. Rather than relying on coercive leverage, the approach emphasizes capacity building, respect for sovereignty, and cooperative security.
As the Indian Navy prepares for MILAN 2026 in Visakhapatnam, recent developments point to a broader pattern. India’s maritime outreach increasingly rests not on episodic power projection, but on steady partnerships built through training, humanitarian response, and institutional cooperation. These relationships were constructed quietly over years and are now visibly shaping the strategic landscape of the Indian Ocean.
About the Author
Ashu Mann is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. He was awarded the Vice Chief of the Army Staff Commendation card on Army Day 2025. He is pursuing a PhD from Amity University, Noida, in Defence and Strategic Studies. His research focuses include the India-China territorial dispute, great power rivalry, and Chinese foreign policy.