The geopolitical chessboard is shifting, and India, with a sense of urgency, is pivoting its strategic gaze firmly towards Africa. It is a hard-nosed recognition that the maritime security landscape, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), demands proactive engagement with key African partners. The ‘Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement’ (AIKEYME) exercise, which started on April 5, off the coast of Tanzania, is a potent symbol of this deepening commitment, a necessary step in a complex and increasingly contested maritime domain.

AIKEYME 2025 represents a landmark moment in India-Africa defence relations. Co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania People’s Defence Force, this exercise marks India’s first major multilateral naval engagement specifically focused on the African continent. It brings together ten nations, including heavyweights like South Africa, key littoral states like Kenya and Mozambique, and strategically vital island nations such as Mauritius and Seychelles.

This initiative is significant. India intends for AIKEYME to become a biennial fixture, eventually expanding to encompass West African nations, signalling a long-term, region-wide security vision that acknowledges Africa’s rising global influence.

The exercise is designed for practical impact. The agenda, split into harbour and sea phases, tackles real-world threats head-on, encompassing command post exercises, anti-piracy discussions, intensive training on Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations – the sharp end of maritime law enforcement – alongside practical sea drills involving search and rescue, small arms firing, and helicopter operations. The aim is to foster trust and create seamless operational coordination between the participating navies, which is crucial for tackling shared maritime challenges effectively.

AIKEYME, alongside parallel initiatives like the ‘Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar’ deployment – which sees an Indian vessel with mixed international crew conducting joint EEZ surveillance – fits squarely into India’s declared strategy. Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, explicitly links these efforts to the Prime Minister’s ‘SAGAR’ vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region), framing them as concrete steps to consolidate India’s role as a ‘preferred security partner’ and ‘first responder’ within the IOR.

Why this intensified focus now? The answer........

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