First India-Africa multinational maritime exercise will boost ties with African nations: MEA

The exercise, involving participation from nine countries - including Tanzania, Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa - ends on April 18. It positions both India and African nations in leadership roles as far as security of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is concerned and is in line with India's maritime Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR) vision, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.

"Our Minister of State for Defence recently travelled to Tanzania for the first edition of the India-Africa Multinational Maritime Exercise. It was the first time we conducted a multinational exercise involving nine countries off the coast of Africa. This exercise, hosted by Tanzania, marked an important milestone in India-Tanzania relations, as well as in our broader relationship with Africa in general," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday.

A defence expo - Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) 2025 - is also being organised on the sidelines of the exercise where several companies from participating countries, including India, are displaying their defence products.

The expo was inaugurated on April 13 in Dar-es-Salaam in the presence of Tanzania's Minister of Defence and National Service Stergomena Lawrence Tax, India's Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi besides several other distinguished military leaders, including the Chief of Defence Force of the Tanzania Peoples' Defence Force (TPDF).

During his visit, Seth also called on Vice-President of Tanzania Philip Isdor Mpango and Defence Minister Tax in Dar es Salaam on April 14. During his meeting with the Tanzanian Vice-President, the minister updated him on the Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement cooperation from Indian defence industries to exercise (AIKEYME) and the ongoing defence expo.

India also offered to fulfil the defence requirements of Tanzania's Defence Force. India-Tanzania development partnership, cultural connections and cooperation in health and education were also discussed.

AIKEYME 25, meaning 'Unity' in Sanskrit, is being conducted over six days and the exercise includes a harbour phase with joint training and exercises focused on piracy and information sharing, followed by a sea phase to enhance maritime security cooperation.

The initiative aims at developing collaborative solutions to regional maritime challenges, enhancing interoperability, and strengthening the friendly relations between India and African nations.