The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) is a non-treaty-based, voluntary cooperative framework launched by India to promote a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the initiative on November 4, 2019, at the 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok, Thailand. The IPOI was created to structure regional engagement on maritime issues and builds upon India's earlier SAGAR ("Security and Growth for All in the Region") doctrine, articulated in 2015.
The mechanism of the IPOI is centered on seven thematic pillars, with interested partner states voluntarily "co-leading" a pillar to coordinate projects and mobilize resources. The seven pillars are: Maritime Security; Maritime Ecology; Maritime Resources; Capacity Building & Resource Sharing; Disaster Risk Reduction & Management; Science & Technology & Academic Cooperation; and Trade, Connectivity & Maritime Transport. The initiative reinforces a rules-based regional order, underpinned by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The IPOI is distinct from the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), but it complements the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Recent developments show growing international traction, with the European Union endorsing the IPOI in 2022. Furthermore, countries have formally engaged, such as New Zealand joining the Maritime Security pillar in 2026, and Spain formally acceding to the framework in 2026. The core structure of the seven pillars and its voluntary, non-treaty nature have remained consistent since its launch.