ICGS Sankalp's port call at Port Louis, Mauritius as Part of Overseas Deployment in Indian Ocean Region

1. At a Glance

• ICGS Sankalp, an Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), made a port call at Port Louis, Mauritius on 17 January 2026 as part of an Overseas Deployment to Friendly Foreign Countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) [S1].
• Operationalises India's SAGAR doctrine (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the upgraded MAHASAGAR vision announced by PM Modi in Mauritius (2025) [S1][S3].
• Showcases gender inclusivity — two women officers embarked — and India's role as net security provider in the IOR [S1].

2. Why in the News

• Sankalp arrived Port Louis on 17 Jan 2026; will proceed to Seychelles as next leg of the IOR overseas deployment [S1].
• Continues a 2025–26 sequence of ICG/Indian Navy outreach: IOS SAGAR port call at Port Louis (26–28 April 2025), AIKEYME Africa-India exercise, and the India-Mauritius Joint Vision for Enhanced Strategic Partnership signed March 2025 [S2][S3].

3. Background & Evolution

• Indian Coast Guard raised under the Coast Guard Act, 1978; armed force of the Union under Ministry of Defence.
• SAGAR doctrine articulated by PM Modi at Port Louis, Mauritius in March 2015 during the commissioning of CGS Barracuda [S4].
• Evolved to MAHASAGAR — "Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions" — announced by PM Modi in Mauritius, March 2025, expanding SAGAR to the Global South [S3].
• ICG OPV deployments to Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, Sri Lanka are a recurring confidence-building tool (e.g., ICGS Samarth to Mombasa 2016; OPVs to Maldives 2024; Sajag to Dammam 2023).

4. Core Static Facts

• Vessel: ICGS Sankalp — Offshore Patrol Vessel class, Indian Coast Guard [S1].
• Implementing body: Indian Coast Guard, under Ministry of Defence (NOT Ministry of Shipping/Ports) [S1].
• Statutory base: Coast Guard Act, 1978.
• Host port: Port Louis, Mauritius; next port: Victoria, Seychelles [S1].
• Doctrine: SAGAR (2015) → MAHASAGAR (2025) [S3][S4].
• IOS SAGAR participating nations (9): Mauritius, Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tanzania [S2].
• Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR): hosted at Gurugram, anchors maritime domain awareness with regional partners [S2].
• Personnel highlight: 2 women officers embarked on Sankalp [S1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic - Mauritius is a "special maritime partner" under SAGAR; India assists in protecting its 2.3 million sq km EEZ through assets, joint surveillance, hydrography and exercises [S2]. - Counters extra-regional naval presence (Chinese PLA Navy forays, anti-piracy task forces) in the South-West IOR. - Complements Colombo Security Conclave and IORA engagements; reinforces India's net security provider role.

Social / Gender - Deployment of women officers aligns with the Permanent Commission for women in ICG and the Supreme Court's Babita Puniya (2020) trajectory of gender parity in armed forces [S1].

Environmental - SAGAR mandate explicitly includes marine environmental protection — oil-spill response, anti-poaching/IUU fishing — core ICG charters under MARPOL & UNCLOS obligations [S1].

Administrative / Capability Diplomacy - ICG-to-ICG engagement (vs. Navy-to-Navy) signals constabulary, non-escalatory cooperation: SAR, pollution response, fisheries. - Bilateral MoU between ICG and Mauritius National Coast Guard underpins joint EEZ surveillance [S2].

Economic - Secures Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) in the South-West IOR carrying India's hydrocarbon and trade flows; supports Blue Economy under Mauritius-India Joint Vision [S3].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• March 2025: PM Modi state visit to Mauritius; MAHASAGAR vision unveiled; Joint Vision for Enhanced Strategic Partnership signed [S3].
• April 2025: IOS SAGAR (INS Sunayna) port call at Port Louis (26–28 Apr 2025) with multinational sea-riders [S2].
• 2025: Inaugural AIKEYME (Africa India Key Maritime Engagement) exercise launched [S2].
• 17 Jan 2026: ICGS Sankalp arrives Port Louis; onward leg to Seychelles [S1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• ICGS Sankalp is an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) of the Indian Coast Guard [S1].
• Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius and the port visited on 17 January 2026 [S1].
• SAGAR = Security And Growth for All in the Region; coined by PM Modi in Mauritius, March 2015 [S4].
• MAHASAGAR = Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions; announced 2025 in Mauritius [S3].
• IOS SAGAR flagged off from Karwar by Raksha Mantri carrying personnel from 9 IOR nations [S2].
• 9 nations on IOS SAGAR: Mauritius, Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tanzania [S2].
• IFC-IOR is located at Gurugram, Haryana [S2].
• Indian Coast Guard is governed by the Coast Guard Act, 1978, under Ministry of Defence (not Shipping).
• After Mauritius, ICGS Sankalp's next port of call is Seychelles [S1].
• AIKEYME is a maiden India-Africa maritime exercise initiative of the Indian Navy [S2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: India and its Neighbourhood; Bilateral relations (India-Mauritius); Regional groupings (IORA).
• GS-III: Security challenges in maritime domain; role of Coast Guard; non-traditional security.
• Possible question stems: 1. "Discuss how India's SAGAR doctrine has evolved into MAHASAGAR, with reference to recent maritime engagements with Mauritius." 2. "The Indian Coast Guard's overseas deployments are an instrument of soft maritime diplomacy. Examine." 3. "Evaluate India's role as a 'net security provider' in the Indian Ocean Region."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• SAGAR & MAHASAGAR doctrines — parent vision driving the deployment.
• Colombo Security Conclave (India-Sri Lanka-Maldives-Mauritius) — regional security architecture.
• IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) — institutional multilateralism.
• Information Fusion Centre – IOR (Gurugram) — maritime domain awareness.
• Agalega Island development (Mauritius) — strategic infrastructure footprint.
• Indian Coast Guard Act, 1978 & charter — statutory base.
• UNCLOS 1982 & EEZ concept — legal underpinning.
• AIKEYME & IOS SAGAR exercises — operational manifestations.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Wrong service: Sankalp is Indian Coast Guard, NOT Indian Navy.
• Wrong ministry: ICG sits under MoD, not Ministry of Ports/Shipping/Waterways.
• SAGAR vs MAHASAGAR: SAGAR (2015); MAHASAGAR is the 2025 expansion, not a replacement acronym for IORA.
• IOS SAGAR vs ICGS Sankalp: IOS SAGAR was INS Sunayna (Navy, April 2025); Sankalp is a separate ICG deployment (Jan 2026).
• IFC-IOR location: Gurugram, not Kochi or Mumbai.

11. Sources

• [S1] ICGS Sankalp's port call at Port Louis, Mauritius — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2215729 — (tier 1)
• [S2] Indian Navy's Maiden Initiatives of IOS SAGAR and AIKEYME — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2114491 — (tier 1)
• [S3] PM announces Vision MAHASAGAR in Mauritius — https://www.mea.gov.in/newsdetail1.htm?13355 — (tier 1)
• [S4] PM's Remarks on Commissioning of Coast Ship Barracuda (Mauritius, 2015) — https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=116881 — (tier 1)