Port Victoria: The Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS), comprising INS Tir, INS Shardul, and the Coast Guard Ship (CGS) Sarathi, arrived at Seychelles’ Port Victoria on September 1, 2025, as part of its long-range training deployment in the south-western Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Strengthening India–Seychelles Maritime Partnership
This is the third Indian naval visit to Seychelles in 2025, reflecting the consistency and depth of bilateral defence cooperation. The deployment serves a dual role, providing hands-on operational exposure for naval cadets while advancing India’s maritime diplomacy in the strategically significant western IOR.
A ceremonial welcome by the Seychelles Defence Force (SDF) band underscored the camaraderie and trust between the two nations’ armed forces. Such exchanges reinforce cultural goodwill and showcase the long-standing trajectory of India–Seychelles defence engagement, which includes joint exercises, hydrographic cooperation, high-level visits, and capacity-building initiatives.
Training and Operational Focus
For young naval cadets and midshipmen aboard the squadron, the deployment offers real-time training in navigation, seamanship, communication protocols, and fleet manoeuvring.
Interactions with the SDF provide additional exposure in coastal defence, humanitarian assistance, and maritime domain awareness, strengthening both interoperability and operational confidence.
Also Read: S5-Class SSBNs: India’s Next Nuclear Submarines to Start Construction in 2027 with 16 MIRV Missiles
Strategic Context: MAHASAGAR Vision
The visit aligns with India’s wider maritime strategy under MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) a doctrine promoting cooperative security, shared growth, and regional stability.
As a net security provider in the Indian Ocean, India continues to assist Seychelles through hydrographic surveys, patrol vessel donations, defence personnel training, and coastal radar development. The current deployment adds a training and youth-focused dimension to this cooperation, expanding people-to-people and institutional linkages.
Safeguarding the Indian Ocean
Both nations share common priorities in combating piracy, illegal fishing, trafficking, and transnational maritime threats. India’s recurring naval presence in Seychelles reflects its strategic commitment to freedom of navigation, rule-based order, and regional stability.
Major Takeaway
The visit of INS Tir, INS Shardul, and CGS Sarathi to Seychelles highlights India’s strategic outreach and its investment in preparing the next generation of naval officers. For Seychelles, it underscores the benefits of an enduring partnership with India, centred on security, training, and maritime prosperity in the wider IOR.
The First Training Squadron’s deployment thus strengthens defence ties, professional training, and the collective vision of peace and stability across the Indian Ocean.
Also Read: India-Germany Submarine Pact: Indian Navy to Acquire Six AIP-Equipped Vessels for ₹70,000 Crore
