Rajnath Singh Unveils ‘MAHASAGAR’ Vision, Declares 2025 as Year of Defence Reforms

By A Staff Reporter

Wellington Cantonment, Tamil Nadu: In a major policy announcement, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday introduced a new strategic framework titled MAHASAGAR—Mutual and Holistic Advancement of Security and Growth Across the Region—expanding upon the decade-old SAGAR doctrine aimed at ensuring regional security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

“Ten years ago, our Prime Minister laid the foundation of the SAGAR vision. Today, we take it further with MAHASAGAR, which reflects India’s commitment not just to the Indian Ocean but to the entire Global South,” Singh said, underlining India’s growing role in shaping inclusive regional and global security architecture.

In line with this broader vision, Singh declared 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’ for the Ministry of Defence, focusing on the transformation of India’s armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force. “This would aim at transforming our armed forces into a force capable of multi-domain integrated operations,” he stated.

Singh revealed that nine key areas have been identified for reform, covering a wide spectrum including defence acquisitions, procedural simplification, and future warfare preparedness. He noted that the modernisation push is already yielding progress.

“Collectively, we are making significant progress on the goals we have set for ourselves,” he concluded, highlighting India’s continued focus on strategic autonomy, self-reliance, and global cooperation in defence and security.