Understanding SAGAR: India’s Vision for the Indo-Pacific

If you’ve been following Indian foreign policy, you’ve heard the term ‘SAGAR’—Security and Growth for All in the Region. It’s meant to be India’s answer to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But is it working? On paper, SAGAR is beautiful: it talks about capacity building, sustainable development, and maritime cooperation. On the ground, it’s a bit slow. The BRI is a train that already left the station. India is trying to lay its own tracks with projects like the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and port development in Iran (Chabahar). The problem is funding. China has deep pockets; India is still cautious with its spending. However, SAGAR has one advantage: it’s not a debt trap. The countries in the Indian Ocean are wary of getting too indebted to China. India offers an alternative, albeit a slower one. Patience is key here.