From First Response to Friendship: 6 Years of Operation Vanilla in India–Madagascar Relations

In February 2020, Madagascar’s Minister of National Defence made his first official visit to India to attend DefExpo and India–Africa Defence Ministers’ Conclave, an indication that the humanitarian mission had opened a door for strategic engagement.

New Delhi: When Cyclone Diane slammed into Madagascar in the final week of January 2020, the devastation was unforgiving. Torrential rain battered the world’s fourth-largest island for days, overwhelming fragile infrastructure and swallowing neighbourhoods in rising floodwaters. By the time emergency sirens fell silent, more than 10,000 homes had vanished beneath mud and silt, 31 people were dead, and thousands more were left stranded without food or shelter.

President Andry Rajoelina declared a national emergency and appealed urgently to the international community for support.

The first foreign ship to appear on the horizon off Antsiranana was Indian.

INS Airavat, diverted from a mission deployment in the Southern Indian Ocean, arrived with medical personnel, disaster-response teams, tents, clothes, medicines and relief material. That operation later known as Operation Vanilla did more than deliver aid. It marked a moment when India stepped decisively into the role of first responder in the Western Indian Ocean.

A Turning Point at Sea

INS Airavat carried out the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief mission under Operation Vanilla, the Indian Navy’s rapid-response effort that made India the first country to reach Madagascar during the crisis. As part of the operation, Airavat delivered urgently needed supplies on 1 February 2020 — tents, blankets, clothing, food stocks, medicines and other relief material that local authorities had struggled to procure in the aftermath of Cyclone Diane. The Medical Team from the ship also held a medical camp at Antsiranana.

When INS Shardul arrived carrying 600 tonnes of rice, one of India’s largest emergency food consignments delivered to Madagascar by a naval ship — it underscored that the response of 2020 was not a one-off gesture, but the beginning of a sustained commitment.

For Madagascar, the arrival of food supplies was a lifeline. For India, it signalled the beginning of a sustained partnership shaped not by ceremonial diplomacy but by presence, action, and reliability.

Defence Ties Find Their Sea Legs

The diplomatic momentum built at a steady pace. In February 2020, Madagascar’s Minister of National Defence made his first official visit to India to attend DefExpo and the inaugural India–Africa Defence Ministers’ Conclave, an early indication that the humanitarian mission had opened a door for strategic engagement.

By March 2021, that cooperation had moved onto the ocean itself. INS Shardul joined the Malagasy Naval Ship Trozona in the first-ever joint patrol of Madagascar’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

A Passing Exercise (PASSEX) followed, designed to sharpen coordination between navies increasingly conscious of regional security challenges.

Training became the next frontier. The same year, a five-member Indian Navy Mobile Training Team landed in Madagascar to train 50 Malagasy Special Forces personnel in tactical operations, coastal defence, and close-quarter combat.

A second team returned in October 2022, cementing an annual rhythm that has since expanded into wider capacity-building discussions.

The Port Calls That Tell a Wider Story

Indian naval ships have since become familiar visitors in Malagasy ports — whether as part of training deployments or diplomatic outreach.

In 2023, INS Tir and Coast Guard Ship Sarathi arrived at Antsiranana, interacting with local authorities. A few months later, INS Trishul arrived in Toamasina on the occasion of International Day of Yoga linking maritime diplomacy with cultural outreach.

In December 2023, during a port visit, INS Sumedha’s visit included a planned Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with the Malagasy Navy upon departure. This demonstrated the Indian Navy's increasing ease of operation in the waters off Madagascar.

Last year, the Malagasy armed forces joined the first-ever Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) exercise, a multilateral platform co-hosted by India and Tanzania aimed at strengthening Indian Ocean security cooperation.

Political Warmth at the Highest Levels

The naval tempo has been matched by political engagement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Rajoelina in Dubai in February 2024, a conversation that reviewed the expanding defence and development partnership. The following year, Madagascar’s Minister of Armed Forces was in Bengaluru for Aero India 2025, holding talks with India’s defence leadership.

Just months later, in June 2025, India’s Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth represented New Delhi at Madagascar’s Independence Day celebrations in Antananarivo.

His bilateral discussions focused on maritime security, hydrography, and the next phase of training cooperation — indicative of a relationship now anchored firmly in shared strategic priorities.

Six years on, the legacy of Operation Vanilla runs much deeper than Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. The operation demonstrated the value of proactive naval diplomacy — fast response, persistent presence, and human-centric engagement.