IOS Sagar is bringing together multiple maritime agencies of the Southwest Indian Ocean Region for joint training on an Indian naval platformBy Ajai ShuklaThe Diplomat, April 11th, 2025An Indian Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV), INS Sunayna, was flagged off from Karwar naval base on a mission of multinational cooperation on April 5 by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. On board with the crew are 44 naval trainees from nine Friendly Foreign Nations (FFNs): Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. The Indian Navy takes pride in functioning as the “preferred security partner” in the northern Indian Ocean. India’s leadership in the security matrix of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) began in December 2004, when the Indian Navy’s lightning-quick response to the Indian Ocean tsunami made the United States Pacific Command and the Pentagon realize that here was a regional partner worth having. From there, it was but a short hop to India’s designation as a Major Defense Partner in 2016 and the inking of three “foundational defense agreements” shortly thereafter.