New Delhi: In a groundbreaking move to bolster maritime security and deepen ties with African nations, the Indian Navy is set to conduct its first joint exercise with several countries along the continent’s eastern coast, with an eye toward combating piracy and other illicit activities at sea. The exercise named ‘Africa India Key Maritime Engagement’ or Aikeyme, which means unity in Sanskrit, will aim to increase cooperation in tackling maritime security threats such as piracy, illegal activities including trafficking, and unregulated and unreported fishing through sharing of information and surveillance. The Indian Navy aims to hold these exercises every 2 years.

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The maiden edition of the exercise was co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Force (TPDF) and would be conducted at/off Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the joint exercise, which will see participation from Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, the Seychelles, and South Africa. While this time around East African countries are present, the plan is to broaden its scope to include West African countries in the next edition.

“East Africa is important to us,” Vice Adm. Tarun Sobti, India’s deputy chief of naval staff, said at a news conference in New Delhi. “You are well aware of the situation regarding piracy with regard to the east coast of Africa. Lots of issues on narcotics. These are peacetime, maritime security issues.” The exercises will unfold in two phases. The harbour phase will feature tabletop simulations and command post drills centred on piracy and intelligence sharing, alongside training in seamanship and Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations—a key tactic for intercepting suspicious vessels. The Sea Phase comprises Seamanship evolutions, Search and Rescue, VBSS, Small Arms firing and Helicopter Operations.

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Coinciding with Africa exercises is a focus on the Indian Ocean Region with the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar initiative. Under this, Indian Navy Ship INS Sunayna will be deployed in the Southwest Indian Ocean region, and will host crew from 9 countries—Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, the Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, South Africa. The ship will be deployed for over a month in April 2025 and will be undertaking port calls at Dar-es-Salaam, Nacala, Port Louis, Port Victoria, and Male. As part of the deployment, it will undertake Joint surveillance of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.

“The Indian Ocean region remains a very important region for us,” Vice Adm. Sobti said, pointing to India’s long-standing efforts to unite littoral states through forums like the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium. “The region will remain relevant.” 44 personnel from the 9 participating countries, will undergo training at various naval professional schools in Kochi and also witness the witness harbour phase activities of Exercise AIKEYME at Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

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Indian Navy’s Aikeyme exercise and Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar initiative come at a time when India has been not only marking 10 years of its Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) policy but also PM Modi during his Mauritius visit, announcing Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (MAHASAGAR) policy. The Indian Navy, which sees itself as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ and ‘First Responder’ in the Indian Ocean Region, will be key to Indian government’s implementation of these policy, especially when the situation in Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific region sees emergence of new challenges, including illegal fishing, etc.