Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is a concept and strategic vision for India's maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The term, which also means "ocean" in Hindi, was first articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2015 during a visit to Mauritius. It was created to position India as a "net security provider" and "first responder" in the IOR, addressing the region's increasing strategic importance, non-traditional threats like piracy, and the expanding maritime presence of China.
SAGAR works as a multidimensional framework that integrates security, economic, and environmental cooperation with littoral states. Key mechanisms include enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram and sponsoring coastal radar networks in partner countries like the Maldives and Seychelles. It also involves capacity building through the transfer of patrol vessels, joint patrols, and providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) during crises, exemplified by the Mission SAGAR deployments for COVID-19 relief.
The concept connects directly to India's broader foreign policy initiatives, such as the Act East Policy and the Neighbourhood First Policy. It also overlaps with the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), launched in 2019, and India's engagement in plurilateral structures like the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Quad. Recently, the concept has been extended, with Indian officials describing a broader vision called MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), which expands the framework from the Indian Ocean to the wider Indo-Pacific and Global South.