Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
"An inter-governmental body of Indian Ocean littoral states promoting cooperation and the blue economy across the region."
The Indian Ocean Rim Association is a regional forum of coastal states bordering the Indian Ocean, established in 1997 with its Secretariat in Ebene, Mauritius. It brings together member states and dialogue partners to advance maritime safety and security, trade and investment facilitation, fisheries management, disaster risk reduction, the blue economy and women's economic empowerment. It is central to India's maritime outlook and its SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.
GS2 (regional groupings, maritime cooperation). Prelims tests the 1997 founding, the Mauritius Secretariat and India's role. Mains uses IORA to discuss Indian Ocean geopolitics, the blue economy and India's maritime diplomacy. Anchor: IORA remains a key platform for India's maritime engagement in the Indo-Pacific, complementing the SAGAR doctrine and the newer MAHASAGAR vision of 2025.
- 1 Founded in 1997; Secretariat in Ebene, Mauritius
- 2 Members are littoral states of the Indian Ocean plus dialogue partners
- 3 Focus areas include maritime security and the blue economy
- 4 Priority on fisheries, disaster risk reduction and trade facilitation
- 5 Advances women's economic empowerment as a cross-cutting theme
- 6 Aligns with India's SAGAR and MAHASAGAR maritime visions
India continued to use IORA in 2026 as a platform for blue-economy and maritime-security cooperation, reinforcing its SAGAR-to-MAHASAGAR maritime outreach in the Indian Ocean region.
