Africa-India Maritime Exercise: Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi started a five-day visit to Tanzania on Saturday. He went there mainly to take part in a large naval exercise called ‘AIKEYME’. This name stands for Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement.
The exercise will begin on Sunday in the waters near Dar-es-Salaam and will involve navies from India and many African countries. Both the Indian Navy and the Tanzania Peoples Defence Force are working together to host this big event.
Join us in welcoming Indian Navy Ship (INS) Chennai 🇮🇳 on shores of Dar es Salaam as it brings the glory of Indian Navy!!
We are fully prepared for AIKEYME (Africa India Key Maritime Engagement) 2025. 🇩🇯 🇰🇲 🇰🇪 🇲🇬 🇲🇺 🇲🇿 🇸🇨 🇿🇦 🇹🇿#AIKEYME #IndianNavy pic.twitter.com/MYn3cJXBaU
— India in Tanzania (@IndiainTanzania) April 11, 2025
The main goal of the exercise is to make India’s friendship with African nations stronger, especially in the area of maritime security. This means working together to keep the seas safe from problems like piracy, illegal fishing, and smuggling.
Indian Navy Begins Multinational Mission of Cooperation with Countries in Indian Ocean
The Indian Navy shared in a tweet, “The visit aims to strengthen maritime cooperation and strategic ties between India and Tanzania, underscoring India’s commitment to enhancing defence partnerships in the Indian Ocean Region.”
This navy exercise is part of a new plan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He calls it MAHASAGAR, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
The Prime Minister spoke about this plan during his recent trip to Mauritius. It shows India’s growing interest in building better and deeper relations with the Global South, especially through security and sea-based cooperation.
Tiger TRIUMPH 2025: US Navy P-8A Crew Visit VIT Students in a Navy Tech Exchange
A total of eleven countries are joining this event, including the two hosts India and Tanzania. Other countries like Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and South Africa will also join the six-day long exercise, reported by The Week.
All these countries share the goal of safer oceans and stronger ties with each other. Indian and African navies have already worked together in the past to stop illegal activities in the sea. They often share information and help each other with sea patrols and surveillance.
