Indian Army Chief General Dwivedi's Algeria Visit Extends India’s Strategic Arc from Indo-Pacific to the Mediterranean

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi’s August 25-28 visit to Algeria marks a new chapter in India’s defence diplomacy. It is the first time an Army Chief has traveled to the North African nation in recent years, highlighting how New Delhi is widening its strategic map from the Indian Ocean under SAGAR to a broader MAHASAGAR vision that now extends to the Mediterranean.

Deepening Engagement in Algiers

During his visit, General Dwivedi is scheduled to hold talks with General Saïd Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of the Algerian People’s National Army, and Lieutenant General Mostefa Smaali, Commander of Land Forces. His programme also includes visits to the School of Command and Major Staff at Tamentfoust, the Cherchell Military Academy, and the Martyrs Memorial in Algiers.

The visit aims to bolster Army-to-Army cooperation, institutional partnerships, and explore new defence-industrial links.

The trip builds on a Memorandum in Defence Cooperation signed on 3 November 2024 during Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan’s visit, and on President Droupadi Murmu’s state visit in October 2024. It also follows a defence seminar in Algiers from July 30 to August 1, 2025, where Indian firms displayed technologies such as UAVs, surveillance radars, and artillery systems.

Algeria’s Pivot and Africa’s Diversification

Algeria, Africa’s largest country by area, has traditionally relied on Russian defence supplies. In recent years, however, Algiers has been actively diversifying its partnerships. Alongside its long-standing Russian inventory, it has signed a military cooperation MoU with the United States in January 2025, strengthened ties with European suppliers, and now established a structured framework with India.

This reflects a wider African trend: a conscious effort to avoid overdependence on a single partner. Turkey, the Gulf states, and China are all active on the continent. India’s entry into Algeria’s defence calculus highlights New Delhi’s emergence as one of several reliable partners in Africa’s evolving security landscape.

SAGAR and the Emergence of MAHASAGAR

India’s maritime policy has long been framed by SAGAR - Security and Growth for All in the Region - which underpins its Indian Ocean engagements. Under SAGAR, India has delivered patrol vessels to Mauritius, established coastal radar chains in Seychelles, and, in February 2024, inaugurated a new jetty and airstrip on Mauritius’s Agaléga Island.

In 2025, this evolved into a broader MAHASAGAR outlook - a shorthand term in government and strategic circles to describe India’s intention to connect the Indo-Pacific with Africa’s western coast and beyond. 

Two milestones this year illustrate the shift: the launch of AIKEYME 2025, a new Africa–India maritime engagement exercise co-hosted with Tanzania in April, and the IOS SAGAR multinational deployment, where INS Sunayna sailed with officers from nine Indian Ocean littoral navies.

These initiatives demonstrate India's shift from a purely Indian Ocean-centric perspective to a broader arc of engagement.

Linking to the Mediterranean

Algeria is the hinge of this arc. In 2021, the Indian Navy’s frigate INS Tabar held a passage exercise with the Algerian Navy. In December 2024, another Indian warship, INS Tushil, visited Casablanca, Morocco, on the Atlantic-Mediterranean seaboard. With General Dwivedi’s visit, the Army is now adding land-force diplomacy to a pattern already established at sea.

By engaging Algeria, India is creating a strategic bridge between the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean. This is reinforced by India’s engagement with Egypt, further consolidating its presence in North Africa. These ties help solidify India’s strategic influence across contiguous regions.

A Global South Dimension

India’s outreach to Algeria and Africa is not limited to defence sales or exercises. It is part of New Delhi’s broader effort to position itself as a voice of the Global South. India hosted two editions of the Voice of the Global South Summit in 2023, and as G20 president, ensured the African Union’s permanent membership in the grouping.

Defence cooperation complements this role. Training programs for African officers at the National Defence College and the Defence Services Staff College, joint exercises, and capacity-building efforts highlight India’s emphasis on human capital and institutional building.

An Evolving Strategy

General Dwivedi’s visit to Algeria highlights India’s evolving Africa strategy, now focusing on Army engagement, defence-industrial ties, and security dialogue.

This visit is expected to spur cooperation in counter-terrorism, desert warfare, and potential defence co-production. For Algeria, it brings new opportunities for modernization; for India, it broadens its reach from the Indo-Pacific to the Mediterranean and the Sahel.

As the Army Chief engages with Algeria, the central message is clear: India is consolidating a strategic arc from the Indo-Pacific to the Mediterranean, underpinned by SAGAR and MAHASAGAR, and offering balanced, long-term partnerships in line with the aspirations of the Global South. India’s defence diplomacy is shaping new, interconnected regional partnerships.