Co-hosted by India and Tanzania, the exercise will take place off the coast of Dar es Salaam, marking a significant milestone in regional maritime collaboration, according to a statement released yesterday by High commission of India. THE Indian Navy is set to participate in the inaugural Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) exercise in April 2025, a pioneering multilateral maritime training initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation and enhancing maritime security across the Indian Ocean region.

AIKEYME is inspired by the Sanskrit word for “Unity,” reflecting the exercise’s core philosophy that maritime security must be collective, cooperative, and regionally-led.

“This initiative aligns with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s MAHASAGAR vision (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), which emphasizes fostering security and growth throughout the Indian Ocean region,” the statement reads in part.

As maritime challenges in the region intensify—ranging from piracy and illegal fishing to climate-induced disruptions—AIKEYME aims to foster deeper collaboration between African and Indian naval forces, with the understanding that no single nation can secure these waters alone.

The AIKEYME 2025 exercise represents a significant shift in regional maritime cooperation, with the Indian Navy partnering with the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) to co-host the event. Over six days, navies and maritime agencies from nine African nations—Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and the host nation Tanzania—will join the Indian Navy in a demonstration of solidarity, operational cooperation, and maritime professionalism.

“This exercise is not just a show of force or symbolic cooperation. AIKEYME is designed to train navies in real-world operational scenarios, with a focus on developing shared protocols, building trust, and enhancing operational interoperability. The goal is to create lasting partnerships and stronger, more unified regional maritime security efforts.”

The exercise will be conducted in two phases: harbour Phase (Dar-es-Salaam), which will involve command post and table-top exercises simulating piracy response and maritime interdiction, workshops on seamanship and boarding operations, including techniques for visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) and domain awareness sessions, focusing on information exchange, joint surveillance, and coastal coordination as well as professional exchanges among officers, addressing legal frameworks, standard operating procedures, and communication interoperability.

On the sea phase (Western Indian Ocean), it will involve joint navigation and maneuvering exercises, search and rescue (SAR) operations, VBSS boarding drills with cross-nation boarding teams, helicopter operations and small arms firing exercises, maritime tactical exercises involving coordinated patrolling and simulated interdiction.

Although AIKEYME is a first-time exercise, its framework is designed to be sustainable and scalable.

The Indian Navy envisions that future editions of AIKEYME will grow in scale and complexity, furthering its goal of long-term regional security architecture built on trust, cooperation and shared security interests.

In the ever-changing maritime landscape of the Indian Ocean, where the lines that divide nations are far fewer than the waters that connect them, AIKEYME offers a tangible demonstration of unity. For the navies participating in 2025, it will be a defining moment—a testament to earned trust, shared skills and a commitment to safeguarding regional stability for years to come.