India highlights growing Indo-Pacific role under SAGAR vision in 2024 MEA report
In its Annual Report for 2024, the MEA said, 'India's objective is a multi-faceted engagement with all countries in the region and those with interests in it, encompassing political, security, economic, and socio-cultural spheres, aimed at Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).'
The report noted steady progress in India's ties with regional bodies, especially as the country marked ten years of the Act East Policy, which focuses on India's extended neighbourhood in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN continues to be central to this approach.
India has increased its engagement with key regional platforms such as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia Summit (EAS), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), and the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).
The MEA said the India-ASEAN relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. At the 21st India-ASEAN Summit held in Vientiane, Laos, on October 10, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ASEAN leaders reviewed the partnership and issued joint statements on digital transformation and future cooperation.
The report also referred to deep cultural ties and people-to-people links, including events like the India-ASEAN Women Scientists Conclave. It noted that ASEAN is now one of India's important trade and technology partners.
The East Asia Summit was described as a key forum for strategic dialogue. PM Modi attended its 19th edition on October 11, 2024, where he backed ASEAN centrality and urged respect for international rules. He also spoke on issues such as terrorism, cyber threats, and the revival of Nalanda University, which is supported by many EAS member countries.
India's work in the western Indian Ocean was also covered. India has been an observer in the Indian Ocean Commission since 2020 and is Vice-Chair of IORA for 2023-2025. It has taken up projects on maritime safety, security, and the Blue Economy. According to the World Bank, the Blue Economy promotes sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth and job creation while preserving marine ecosystems.
The Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative (IPOI), launched by India in 2019, focuses on seven areas including maritime security and trade connectivity, and has seen participation from countries like the UK, Australia, and Japan.
The MEA also highlighted India's role in sub-regional cooperation. It chairs key working groups under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), the oldest sub-regional platform set up in 2000. India has sanctioned 121 Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) under MGC and has launched the MGC Business Council. The country has also supported capacity-building initiatives and projects in technology.
India joined the IMT-GT in 2022 as its first Development Partner and hosted its first Early Harvest Project in New Delhi in 2024, focusing on training in computer networking.
The 2024 MEA report presents India's SAGAR vision as the guiding force behind its active regional role, aiming to bring stability and inclusive growth across the Indo-Pacific.
The report also referred to Prime Minister Modi's March 2025 announcement of the Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR) doctrine in Mauritius, which expands on SAGAR's goals.
Based on India's Neighbourhood First policy and the MAHASAGAR outlook, the country continues to act as a first responder in crises and a net security provider in the region. (ANI)
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Business Standard
28 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India calls Munir's remarks from friendly third country's soil regrettable
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India Today
an hour ago
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China to build 5,000-km-long Xinjiang-Tibet rail link near LAC with India: Report
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India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Asim Munir's hollow nuke threats exposed: Here's the reality check for Pakistan
In just four days of military standoff in May, Pakistan was brought to its knees, with over a dozen of its air bases destroyed. India emerged from the operation not only militarily dominant but also diplomatically resolute, brushing aside Islamabad's nuclear posturing with a reinforced doctrine built in the wake of Operation Sindoor success. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made this stance clear while responding to Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who, at a private dinner in Tampa, Florida, boasted, 'We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us.'advertisementMunir went further, turning his rhetoric towards the Indus River dispute. He vowed to destroy Indian dams on the river, declaring, 'We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, phir 10 missile se faarigh kar dengey (we will destroy it with 10 missiles). The Indus River is not the Indians' family property. Humein missilon ki kami nahin hai, al-Hamdulillah (we have no shortage of missiles, praise be to God).'These threats came just months after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the April Pahalgam terror MEA denounced Munir's remarks as 'nuclear sabre-rattling' — a trademark tactic of Pakistan's military establishment — and warned they furthered 'well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.'It also called it 'regrettable' that such statements were delivered from 'the soil of a friendly third country.' India stressed it would not yield to nuclear blackmail and would take 'all necessary measures' to secure its national CHECK: FACTS BEHIND PAK'S NUCLEAR POSTUREPakistan's nuclear doctrine is intentionally opaque, with a strong emphasis on short-range tactical weapons built for battlefield use rather than strategic, long-range deterrence. Munir's boast of being able to take 'half the world' down suggests a global strike capability — a claim far removed from reality. In truth, Pakistan's nuclear warheads have limited range, confining their reach largely to the region. A recently released US intelligence report warns that Islamabad is seeking to expand its arsenal, posing a growing threat in the years holds an estimated 172 nuclear warheads, backed by tested intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and a declared No First Use policy. Meanwhile, current estimates place Pakistan's stockpile at roughly 170 warheads. Below is the full breakdown of its known nuclear NUCLEAR FORCES (2023)Air-delivered weaponsMirage III/V: 36 launchers, deployed since 1998, 2,100 km range, 5–12 kt bombs or Ra'ad-I/II ALCM, 36 warheads.F-17: Capable of carrying Ra'ad-II ALCM; warhead numbers not 36 weaponsAbdali (Hatf-2): 10 launchers, 200 km range, 5–12 kt, 10 (Hatf-3): 16 launchers, 300 km range, 5–12 kt, 16 (Hatf-4): 24 launchers, 750–900 km range, 5–12 kt, 24 (Hatf-6): 12 launchers, 2,000 km range, 5–12 kt, 12 (Hatf-6): 12 launchers, 2,750 km range, 10–40 kt, 24 (Hatf-5): 12 launchers, 1,250 km range, 10–40 kt, 12 (Hatf-9): 24 launchers, 60–70 km range, possible MIRV/MRV, 12 (Hatf-8): 12 launchers, 2,200 km range, 5–12 kt, 12 GLCM (Hatf-7): 36 launchers, 700 km range, 5–12 kt, 36 GLCM (Hatf-7): 24 launchers, 700 km range, 5–12 kt, 24 126 weaponsBabur-3 SLCM (Hatf-7): 450 km range, 5–12 kt, estimated 8 total inventory: ~170 warheads — about 162 assigned to operational forces, with an additional eight likely produced for future Shaheen-III and cruise missile estimates: They are based on Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests, which ranged from 5–12 kt for most warheads, with some designs reaching 40 kt. Pakistan may have since developed both lower- and higher-yield count vs. launcher count: In some cases, there may be more missiles than launchers. Since most missiles are dual-capable, the table assumes one nuclear warhead per launcher unless noted F-16 reports: There are unconfirmed reports that some of the 40 F-16 aircraft procured from the USA in the 1980s were modified by Pakistan for a nuclear weapon delivery role. However, it is assumed here that the nuclear mission remains exclusive to aircraft for use by Mirage in Pak Air Force: When the Mirage IIIs and Vs are eventually phased out, it is possible that the JF-17 will take over their nuclear role in the Pakistan Air Force. In March 2023, an image was captured by a military photographer of a Pakistani JF-17 flying with a Ra'ad-I ALCM, suggesting a potential dual-capable role for the new aircraft; however, absent additional information this remains highly launchers: Each Nasr launcher has up to four missile tubes. But since Nasr is a dual-capable system and the primary mission probably is conventional, this table counts only one warhead per capability: The Pakistan government claims the Babur range is 700 kilometers, twice the 350-km range reported by the US intelligence community. The Babur-2/1B seems to be an improved version of the original Babur GLCM. It was first tested on December 14, 2016. A failed test in 2020 indicates the system will need to be refined before it can be fielded. The Babur-3 SLCM was first test launched from a submerged platform in 2017advertisementWarhead: Range figures are unrefuelled combat ranges with drop tanks for aircraft and nominal maximum ranges for LIMITATIONS IN PAK'S NUCLEAR ARSENALThere are seven key limitations in Pakistan's nuclear arsenal:Limited range for global strike: Despite boasting about 'taking half the world down,' Pakistan's longest-range missile, Shaheen-III, has a maximum range of ~2,750 km — insufficient for intercontinental or global strike. No true ICBM capability; arsenal is regionally focused, primarily targeting reliance on tactical and short-range weapons: Significant portion of arsenal comprises short-range systems like Nasr (Hatf-9) with a range of only 60–70 km, intended for battlefield use. Doctrine remains ambiguous and heavily skewed towards tactical deterrence rather than credible second-strike or strategic global air-delivery capability: Air-based delivery relies mainly on ageing Mirage III/V aircraft (deployed since 1998) and possibly JF-17 in future. No confirmed nuclear-capable long-range bomber deterrent is rudimentary: Babur-3 SLCM has only ~450 km range and limited deployment, offering minimal true sea-based deterrence compared to India's growing SSBN count vs. operational readiness: Estimated inventory is ~170 warheads. Many are tied to dual-capable launchers, meaning not all systems are nuclear-dedicated at any given and delivery constraints: Predominantly uses liquid-fuelled systems (slower to deploy, more vulnerable).MIRV and precision-strike capabilities remain limited and unproven compared to India's tested to counterforce: Small, fixed-launch infrastructure and predictable basing make assets vulnerable to pre-emptive strikes as highlighted in Operation line, Asim Munir's rhetoric may stir nationalistic pride at home, but the hard numbers reveal Pakistan's nuclear posture is a regional deterrent with serious capability gaps.- EndsTune InMust Watch
