- What is it?: The IONS is a voluntary and inclusive initiative that brings together navies of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) littoral states to increase maritime cooperation and enhance regional security.
- Function: It also serves to develop an effective response mechanism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) against natural disasters.
- Members: IONS includes 24 member nations that touch or lie within the IOR, and 8 observer nations.
- Significance for India
- Strengthening and deepening the relations with the Indian Ocean littoral states,
- Establishing its leadership potential and aspirations of being a net-security provider, and
- Fulfilling India’s vision of a rules-based and stable maritime order in the IOR.