Indian Navy Concludes Harbour Training for Personnel from 16 Friendly Foreign Nations under IOS SAGAR

The Indian Navy has completed the Harbour Training Phase of its IOS SAGAR initiative in Kochi, marking a key step in India’s effort to strengthen maritime cooperation and capacity building across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Conducted at the Southern Naval Command, the programme brought together personnel from 16 friendly foreign countries for an intensive two-week training capsule aimed at improving interoperability, operational understanding and regional coordination.

The initiative comes at a time when the Indian Ocean Region is facing a complex mix of shared maritime challenges, including piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, maritime security threats, natural disasters and the need to keep critical sea lines of communication secure. Against this backdrop, IOS SAGAR has been designed to promote joint preparedness and closer cooperation among regional navies.

During the harbour phase, the multinational participants underwent training across the Indian Navy’s premier professional schools. The programme covered a broad range of core and advanced naval skills, including seamanship, navigation, communication procedures, safety of life at sea, firefighting and damage control drills. It also included specialised modules such as Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations and advanced bridgemanship, giving participants exposure to both routine and high-skill aspects of naval functioning.

One of the major highlights of the training was the use of modern simulators and advanced training infrastructure, which enabled realistic scenario-based learning. These facilities gave participants practical exposure to complex maritime situations in a controlled environment, helping sharpen decision-making and operational readiness. The blend of classroom instruction and hands-on simulation was aimed at creating a more comprehensive understanding of present-day maritime challenges.

Training conducted under the aegis of the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) also helped familiarise the international crews with Indian Navy procedures and operational best practices. In addition, the Indian Naval Workup Team led focused sea-training modules intended to improve coordination and strengthen operational synergy among the participating countries.

The Indian Navy said the IOS SAGAR initiative reflects the spirit of “One Ocean, One Mission”, with participants displaying strong teamwork, professionalism and camaraderie throughout the programme. The interactions also created space for the exchange of best practices, helping build trust and deepen interoperability between partner navies.

With the harbour phase now complete, the IOS SAGAR initiative will move into its operational deployment phase, which will include joint activities at sea and port engagements across the region. The transition is expected to further enhance practical cooperation among participating navies and expand the initiative’s regional impact.

The programme underscores India’s broader maritime vision under MAHASAGAR and reinforces the Indian Navy’s growing role as a preferred training partner in the region. Through such initiatives, India continues to position itself as a key contributor to a secure, stable and cooperative maritime environment in the Indian Ocean Region.

Source: PIB