India’s Maritime Ties with Tanzania: Challenges and Opportunities in the Indian Ocean Region

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a primary geopolitical fulcrum and a strategically important hub in contemporary global geopolitics, through which 90 percent of global trade passes, is considered a key route for commerce, energy flows, and naval dominance. The IOR accounts for around 80% of global maritime oil trade and connects to important maritime chokepoints, including the Straits of Malacca and Hormuz.

India, located at the heart of the northern IOR, considers the region crucial to its strategic projections. The Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) doctrine is the official manifestation of its vision, promoting maritime cooperation, capacity building, and economic integration among the littoral states. According to this vision, India focuses on safeguarding its mainland and its interests, and on ensuring a safe, secure, and stable IOR. In India's travel with this vision in regard to the African continent, Tanzania plays a pivotal role in the IOR and in India's SAGAR vision. With its 1,424 km coastline and strategic ports like Dar es Salaam, it guards key sea lanes near the Mozambique Channel, facilitating 70% of global oil trade.

Strategic framework of Tanzania under SAGAR framework:

Over the past ten years, the Indian Navy has deepened its partnerships with maritime agencies of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to enhance maritime security in consonance with the vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). As per SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities. Situated in Eastern Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania is the largest among the East African countries. Tanzania borders Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south, with the Indian Ocean along its eastern coast. Tanzania borders the Indian Ocean on the East, with a coastline spanning over 1,424 kilometres and a 241,541-square-kilometre Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Tanzania's geographical location plays a defining role within this framework.

India and Tanzania share one of the oldest and most robust bilateral relationships. From the 1960s through the 1980s, both nations were united by shared post-colonial ideologies: anti-colonialism, socialism, and South-South cooperation, exemplified by the close friendship between Julius Nyerere and India's leadership. As a gateway nation to the western Indian Ocean, Tanzania remains a strategic partner of India.

Despite facing similar maritime challenges, both neighbouring partners seek opportunities to strengthen their ties and support the development of their respective nations.

Opportunities for Maritime cooperation:

Naval Joint Exercises: The first-ever India-Tanzania Joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance exercise was conducted in July 2023, while earlier a bilateral maritime exercise and a trilateral maritime exercise involving India, Tanzania and Mozambique in the Mozambique Channel were held in the year 2024, with its second version, which is basically conducted in two phases, namely harbour and sea, where Indian naval ships were participating. Hence, the joint exercises of this nature will facilitate elevating the relationship to a strategic level.

Blue Economy Collaboration: The blue economy is a central area of focus for both nations. African Union’s vision for peace and security in Africa with a focus on the development of a Blue/ocean economy, including tourism, maritime trade, services and infrastructure, marine scientific research, capacity in seabed mining, ocean conservation, and maritime safety and security. During Samia Suluhu Hassan's visit, India signed an agreement with Tanzania for real-time vessel tracking and hydrological surveys, with the aim of enabling their blue economy logistics. $7.2B fisheries access and seabed minerals potential lie in this relation. Under the SAGAR framework, India funds coastal surveillance radars. Hence, the joint ventures would facilitate unlocking the potential of new ocean renewables.

Case study Analysis and Initiatives:

The cases discussed in this section reflect the dynamics in the India-Tanzania maritime relations, while also keeping the China-Tanzania economic corridor in mind.

INS Trishul EEZ Patrol, 2023

INS Trishul visited Port Dar-es-Salam from 07 to 08 Jul 2023. On departure, the ship undertook Joint EEZ surveillance with the Tanzanian Navy and participated in a Maritime Partnership Exercise with TNS Fatundu and TNS Pengusi. A multinational maritime exercise co-hosted by the Indian Navy and Tanzania People’s Defence Force will bring together participants from several African nations to strengthen regional cooperation and maritime security in the Indian Ocean, according to a report on the Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement. Therefore, the INS Trishul mission validates that bilateral cooperation between nations helps India advance its SAGAR aims.

China's Bagamoyo Port Project

On the one hand, China's active engagement with the African region is regarded as a positive development; on the other hand, it is interpreted in a negative light as well. The concern every time is not the direct conflict but the high likelihood that China will expand its influence, which could shrink India’s strategic space and affect Tanzania’s maritime sector. The China-funded $10-billion Bagamoyo port project was proposed, with Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as the backdrop. The project posed existential risks to Indo-Tanzanian maritime relations by creating a Chinese chokepoint, sidelining SAGAR patrols like INS Trishul, and producing consequences such as locking up fisheries and minerals considered critical to blue economy gains. During President Magufuli's administration, the deal was halted amid concerns about debt and national sovereignty. According to China Daily, China is now focusing its investments on incremental upgrades to the Dar es Salaam terminal and on reviving the $1.4 billion ‘Tanzania–Zambia Railway Corridor (TAZARA) through a new agreement with Zambia, Tanzania exported around $447 million worth of goods to China in 2022, with main exports being oily seeds and copper. This economic relationship continues to influence political alignment in the region and remains important for India’s maritime cooperation and engagement with Tanzania as Chinese investments persist.

Key Constraints in the Cooperation:

The existence of barriers in any relationship is inseparable, and the maritime relationship, too, is not an exception. There are many common threads of challenges that connect both nations, including sea piracy, armed robbery, narcotics trafficking, and terrorism.

Improper Management: It is observed that there is a high frequency of traffic on freight vessels from African, European, and Asian countries, including India, along its 1424 km-long coastline. The protection of Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) is an important concern, but Tanzania has developed a too small navy that is not sufficiently equipped or capable to deal with the rising maritime challenges. Several persistent challenges hinder the efficiency of Tanzania’s maritime transportation system. Congestion at ports delays cargo handling, while slow customs clearance processes create bottlenecks that increase the cost of doing business. Outdated infrastructure, coupled with high operational expenses, further reduces the competitiveness of Tanzanian ports compared to other regional hubs. These inefficiencies make trade more expensive and less predictable, discouraging foreign investors and slowing economic expansion.

Piracy – A concern: Piracy is widespread in Tanzania. These incidents occur mainly while the ships are at the outer anchorage of the Dar-es-Salaam port. The pirates board the ship and steal whatever they can lay their hands on and run away. However, in 2010, during the height of piracy in the Indian Ocean region, Somali pirates entered the south to attack shipping vessels in Tanzanian waters. It remains a major concern in the maritime sector.

Inefficient Infrastructure: Another critical challenge observed is the inadequate and outdated maritime infrastructure in Tanzania, which constrains the shipping sector’s capacity to effectively support the Blue Economy. To address this, it is essential for both the government and private stakeholders to prioritise investments in modernising and expanding port facilities.

The threat of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing is yet another serious issue to focus upon. The region's vast coastline is prone to extensive illegal fishing by foreign vessels, which exploit marine resources. Maritime threats in the Western Indian Ocean cost the region roughly $1.14 billion per year, according to a new report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The losses amount to 5.7% of the region’s gross marine product, a significant economic loss for the blue economy, which is the fundamental economic base.

Bilateral engagements and recommendations:

India and Tanzania have, over time, entered into multiple Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) across various sectors, including the marine sector. The Indian Navy and Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation have signed a technical agreement on the sharing of white shipping information, a major initiative that exchanges details on commercial marine traffic. To increase cooperation in maritime security, they developed a five-year defence cooperation roadmap during the 2nd Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting held on June 28-29, 2023, which also sought to expand cooperation in the maritime sector.

In addition, Cochin Shipyard Ltd. and Marine Services Co. Ltd. have signed an MoU on Cooperation in the Maritime Industry, which primarily focuses on ship repair, ship engineering, and port-related services. India and African countries, including Tanzania, are increasing their multilateral engagement through regional organisations such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and multinational maritime exercises such as MILAN and Cutlass Express.

Under the Maritime Heads for Active Security and Growth for All in the Region (MAHASAGAR) framework, certain remarkable initiatives were launched. First was the Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) initiative, a naval wargame that took place off Dar es-Salaam in April 2025, co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzanian People’s Defence Force (TPDF). India also conducts trilateral exercises with Mozambique and Tanzania – known as the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Maritime Exercise (IMT-TRILAT) - which, in a significant way, will enhance regional protection.

Conclusion:

Tanzania is an important East African nation on the Indian Ocean coast, with over 1,400 km of coastline. Its strategic location is one of the main reasons it is a meaningful partner for India in achieving maritime security. Both nations have traditionally been close partners. We have observed active engagement between both nations in recent times through joint exercises, naval training, and mutual capacity-building. However, the relationship also faces several hurdles, including piracy, illegal and unregulated fishing, maritime smuggling, and the growing strategic presence of external powers such as China in the region. These challenges underscore the need for stronger coordination and improved maritime governance. Despite the backstops, the relationship remains promising because of the collaborations and frequent visits by the leaders of both nations. In conclusion, overcoming the barriers with more forward-looking policy implementation will immediately build a powerful blue economy and require protection in the Indian Ocean region.

References:

1.Khalid, M. India and Tanzania in the Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean.

2.Hartmann, J. (1981). Tanzania and the Indian Ocean, .Journal of Eastern African Research & Development,11, 62-79.

3.Mishra, Abhishek. "India-Africa Maritime Cooperation: The Case of Western Indian Ocean."ORF Occasional Paper 221 (2019).

4.Singh, A. (2023). India–Africa maritime security and strategic cooperation in the twenty-first century., Journal of Defence Studies,17(3), 280-309.

5.High Commission of India, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. (2026). Hcindiatz.gov.in. https://www.hcindiatz.gov.in/india-tanzania-bilateral-relation.php

6. and, I. (2026, February).Tanzania–India Relations 2026: A Comprehensive Data-Driven Research Report. TICGL | Tanzania Investment and Consultant Group Ltd - Your Strategic Partner for Business, Investment and Economic Transformation in Tanzania; TICGL. https://ticgl.com/tanzania-india-relations/

7.Ushirogata, K. (2025).Global maritime military strategy, 1980–2023(p. 218). Springer Nature.

8.HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA DAR ES SALAAM INDIA-TANZANIA BILATERAL RELATIONS. (n.d.). https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Tanzania-02-11-2023.pdf

9.Joint Statement during the State Visit of the President of Tanzania to India and launch of Strategic Partnership between India and Tanzania (8-10 October 2023). (2023). Pib.gov.in. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1966074

10.Kidwai, S. A., & Saman, A. (2023). India–Africa cooperation in the maritime space, Journal of Defence Studies,17(3), 358-381.

11.Indian warship Trikand visits Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (06 - 09 September 2016). (2016). Pib.gov.in. https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx’relid=149562

12.The China Factor in the India-Tanzania Strategic Partnership. (n.d.). Thediplomat.com. https://thediplomat.com/2023/10/the-china-factor-in-the-india-tanzania-strategic-partnership/

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE)

Image Source: AI Generated