India Hosted 10th Edition of Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD-10) in New Delhi

Summary

• In May 2026, India — which currently holds the chairship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) for 2025–27 — hosted the 10th edition of the Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD-10) in New Delhi.
• The dialogue was held from 7 to 8 May 2026 under the theme “Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World”.
• It was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in collaboration with the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the IORA Secretariat.
• The inaugural session was addressed by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Mauritius Minister Dhananjay Ramful, and Yemen’s Minister of State Waleed Mohammed Al Qadimi.
• India reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through its MAHASAGAR vision and Neighbourhood First policy.

Background & Concept

What is the Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD)?

The Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) is the flagship Track 1.5 forum of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), providing a platform for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners to deliberate on strategic, economic, and developmental challenges facing the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The 10th edition (IOD-10) is particularly significant because it was hosted by India during its chairship of IORA (2025–27), signalling India’s leadership role in the maritime affairs of the region.

About the Theme:

• The theme of IOD-10 — “Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World” — reflects the dynamic geopolitical and economic shifts in the Indo-Pacific, including the rise of maritime security challenges, supply chain reconfigurations, climate change risks, and the growing importance of the IOR for global trade, energy security, and connectivity.
• The Indian Ocean carries nearly 80% of the world’s maritime oil trade, making the region a strategic theatre of global power and cooperation.

Organising Partners:

The IOD-10 was jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) — India’s leading think tank on international affairs — and the IORA Secretariat based in Mauritius. This combination of government, academia, and regional secretariat reflects the multi-stakeholder character of the dialogue.

Key Dignitaries:

• The inaugural session featured leading voices on maritime affairs. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, delivered the keynote, while Dhananjay Ramful, Minister of Regional Integration and International Trade of Mauritius, and Waleed Mohammed Al Qadimi, Minister of State of Yemen, joined as partner-country leaders.
• A notable highlight from Union Minister Sonowal’s address was that women’s participation in India’s maritime sector has surged by 340% since 2020 — a remarkable indicator of inclusive growth in the blue economy.

India’s Commitment & Strategic Vision:

• At IOD-10, India reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean Region, anchored in two key foreign policy frameworks:
• The MAHASAGAR Vision — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — which builds on the earlier SAGAR doctrine (Security and Growth for All in the Region, 2015) and expands India’s vision to a broader regional and global maritime cooperation framework.
• The Neighbourhood First Policy — which prioritises economic, political, and security cooperation with India’s immediate neighbours, especially coastal and island nations of the IOR.

About IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association):

• The IORA is the premier inter-governmental organisation of the Indian Ocean Region, established in 1997 and headquartered in Cyberjaya, Mauritius. It has 23 member states and 12 dialogue partners, with the objective of strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development.
• India holds the IORA chairship for 2025–27, with Oman as the Vice-Chair. The IORA focuses on six priority areas: maritime safety and security, trade and investment facilitation, fisheries management, disaster risk management, academic and S&T cooperation, and tourism and cultural exchange, with two cross-cutting issues — blue economy and women’s economic empowerment.

Significance of IOD-10:

• The dialogue strengthens India’s maritime diplomacy, deepens IORA’s institutional engagement, advances the blue economy agenda, and promotes collective response to traditional and non-traditional security threats. It also positions India as a net security provider in the IOR — consistent with its Indo-Pacific vision.
• It supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Challenges in the IOR:

The region faces several challenges — piracy and maritime crime, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, climate-induced sea-level rise, debt sustainability of island nations, strategic competition between major powers, and vulnerability of small island states to natural disasters. Forums like IOD-10 are essential to build consensus and cooperative responses.

Keywords & Definitions

• ▸ Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD): The flagship Track 1.5 forum of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) for deliberating on strategic, economic, and developmental issues of the Indian Ocean Region.
• ▸ IOD-10: The 10th edition of the Indian Ocean Dialogue, hosted by India in New Delhi on 7–8 May 2026, under the theme “Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World”.
• ▸ Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA): An inter-governmental organisation of 23 member states of the Indian Ocean rim, established in 1997, headquartered in Cyberjaya, Mauritius, working for regional cooperation and sustainable development.
• ▸ IORA Chairship (2025–27): India currently holds the chair of IORA, with Oman as Vice-Chair, leading the regional agenda during this term.
• ▸ Ministry of External Affairs (MEA): The nodal ministry of the Government of India for foreign affairs and diplomatic relations.
• ▸ Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA): A think tank established in 1943, dedicated to the study of international affairs, functioning under the MEA. The Vice President of India is its ex-officio President.
• ▸ Track 1.5 Diplomacy: A diplomatic format that brings together government officials (Track 1) and non-governmental experts (Track 2) in the same forum for policy-relevant discussions.
• ▸ MAHASAGAR Vision: Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — India’s expanded maritime cooperation vision, building on the earlier SAGAR doctrine.
• ▸ SAGAR Doctrine (2015): Security and Growth for All in the Region — India’s maritime foreign policy vision for the Indian Ocean Region, articulated by the Prime Minister in 2015.
• ▸ Neighbourhood First Policy: India’s foreign policy doctrine that prioritises cooperative relations with its immediate neighbours through economic, political, and security partnerships.
• ▸ Indian Ocean Region (IOR): The maritime region surrounding the Indian Ocean, spanning East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Western Australia — carrying about 80% of the world’s maritime oil trade.
• ▸ Blue Economy: The sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, livelihoods, and ecosystem health — including fisheries, shipping, tourism, marine biotech, and renewable energy.
• ▸ Sarbananda Sonowal: The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, who delivered the keynote at IOD-10 and highlighted a 340% rise in women’s participation in India’s maritime sector since 2020.
• ▸ Mauritius: An island nation in the southwestern Indian Ocean, host to the IORA Secretariat at Cyberjaya and a key strategic partner of India.
• ▸ Yemen: A West Asian country located along the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait — a critical maritime chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
• ▸ Bab-el-Mandeb Strait: A strategic chokepoint between Yemen and Djibouti/Eritrea, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden — vital for global oil and trade routes.
• ▸ Indo-Pacific: A strategic geographic construct covering the Indian and Pacific Oceans, central to contemporary global geopolitics, trade, and security.
• ▸ Net Security Provider: A concept used to describe India’s role as a provider of security, stability, and humanitarian assistance in the Indian Ocean Region.
• ▸ IUU Fishing (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated): Fishing practices that violate national or international laws, escape reporting, or are conducted in unregulated waters — a major threat to marine biodiversity and food security.
• ▸ Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14): “Life Below Water” — calls for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources.

Question Section (MCQs)

Q1. The 10th edition of the Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD-10) was hosted in May 2026 by which country and city?

• (a) Mauritius — Port Louis
• (b) India — New Delhi
• (c) Sri Lanka — Colombo
• (d) UAE — Abu Dhabi

Q2. Consider the following statements about the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA):

• It was established in 1997.
• It has 23 member states.
• It is headquartered in Cyberjaya, Mauritius.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only
• (b) 2 and 3 only
• (c) 1 and 3 only
• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q3. India is currently the Chair of IORA for the term:

• (a) 2023–25
• (b) 2024–26
• (c) 2025–27
• (d) 2026–28

Q4. The theme of IOD-10 (2026) was:

• (a) “Towards a Free, Open and Inclusive Indian Ocean”
• (b) “Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World”
• (c) “Blue Economy for Shared Prosperity”
• (d) “Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific Age”

Q5. What does the acronym MAHASAGAR, India’s expanded maritime vision, stand for?

• (a) Maritime Alliance for Holistic Action, Security and Growth Across Regions
• (b) Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
• (c) Maritime Agenda for Harmony, Stability and Global Architecture for Regions
• (d) Maritime and Hydrographic Advancement for Strategic Growth Across Regions

Q6. The SAGAR doctrine of India, articulated in 2015, stands for:

• (a) Strategic Architecture for Growth and Asian Resilience
• (b) Security and Growth for All in the Region
• (c) Sovereignty, Autonomy and Growth for All Rim Nations
• (d) Sustainable Action for Geo-political and Regional Renewal

Q7. The IOD-10 was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with which of the following?

• Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)
• IORA Secretariat
• NITI Aayog
• World Bank

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

• (a) 1 and 2 only
• (b) 1, 2 and 3 only
• (c) 2, 3 and 4 only
• (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q8. Consider the following statements about Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s address at IOD-10:

• He highlighted that women’s participation in India’s maritime sector has surged by 340% since 2020.
• He holds the portfolio of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• He represented the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

Which of the statements given above are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only
• (b) 2 and 3 only
• (c) 1 and 3 only
• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q9. The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, frequently referenced in maritime security, connects:

• (a) Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman
• (b) Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden
• (c) Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea
• (d) Bay of Bengal with the Andaman Sea

Q10. India’s role as a “Net Security Provider” in the Indian Ocean Region primarily refers to its capacity to:

• (a) Lead military alliances against major powers
• (b) Provide security, stability, and humanitarian assistance to regional partners
• (c) Monopolise trade routes in the IOR
• (d) Replace Western navies in the region

Answer Key with Explanations

▸ Q1 → (b) India — New Delhi

• The 10th edition of the Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD-10) was hosted by India in New Delhi on 7–8 May 2026, during India’s chairship of IORA (2025–27).

▸ Q2 → (d) 1, 2 and 3

• All three statements are correct. IORA was established in 1997, currently has 23 member states, and is headquartered in Cyberjaya, Mauritius, with 12 dialogue partners.

▸ Q3 → (c) 2025–27

• India holds the chair of IORA for 2025–27, with Oman as the Vice-Chair, leading the regional agenda during this term.

▸ Q4 → (b) “Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World”

• The theme of IOD-10 reflects the dynamic geopolitical, economic, and environmental shifts affecting the Indian Ocean Region in the contemporary world.

▸ Q5 → (b)

• MAHASAGAR stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — India’s expanded maritime cooperation vision, building on the earlier SAGAR doctrine of 2015.

▸ Q6 → (b) Security and Growth for All in the Region

• SAGAR stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region — articulated by the Prime Minister in 2015 during his visit to Mauritius, framing India’s maritime foreign policy for the IOR.

▸ Q7 → (a) 1 and 2 only

• IOD-10 was organised by the MEA in collaboration with the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the IORA Secretariat. NITI Aayog and the World Bank were not organisers.

▸ Q8 → (a) 1 and 2 only

• Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong — Sonowal represented the Government of India as Union Minister, not the ICWA (which is a think tank under the MEA).

▸ Q9 → (b) Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden

• The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is a strategic chokepoint between Yemen and Djibouti/Eritrea, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden — vital for global oil and trade routes.

▸ Q10 → (b)

• India’s role as a “Net Security Provider” in the IOR refers to its capacity to provide security, stability, and humanitarian assistance to regional partners — including anti-piracy operations, HADR missions, and capacity building of neighbouring navies.