External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on 25 September 2026 spotlighted a string of deadly attacks on commercial vessels — including the killing of Indian sailors in the Gulf of Oman and the Black Sea — while co-launching the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The forum, proposed jointly by India and Liberia, brings together major ship-owning nations, large ship registries, and leading seafarer-supplying countries to coordinate a collective response to rising maritime violence.

Recent Attacks That Prompted Action

Jaishankar cited four recent incidents to underscore the urgency. Two days before the meeting, an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier, MV Cape Dove, was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, killing an Indian sailor. Ten days prior, a Panama-flagged oil tanker, El Gaya, was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving an Indian crew member missing.

Two further incidents occurred in the Black Sea. The chief officer of the MV Omorfi — an Indian national — was killed when the vessel was hit in Russian territorial waters on 18 July. The following day, four Indian seafarers died after the MV Golden Leo was struck shortly after departing from Odessa. Jaishankar was unequivocal: 'These, regrettably, are no longer exceptional occurrences.'

Scale of the Maritime Stakes

Jaishankar framed maritime safety as a global economic imperative, noting that international trade exceeds $140 billion a day and that oceans underpin more than 80 per cent of it. Nearly two million seafarers serve aboard the world's merchant fleets, many enduring prolonged confinement, delayed crew changes, family separation, and psychological distress in addition to physical danger.

'From the Black Sea to the Red Sea to the Gulf, attacks on civilian shipping have become a growing cause of concern,' he told the inaugural gathering. 'These actions that disrupt maritime commerce and cost innocent lives are simply indefensible.' He noted that casualties this year had come from multiple nationalities, not only Indian.

Why India and Liberia Are Co-Leading

India is one of the world's largest sources of seafarers, contributing a significant share of the global merchant marine workforce. Liberia operates the world's largest ship registry. Together, the two countries argued that a flag state and a crew's home country are frequently different, making a multilateral forum essential — no single government can respond effectively acting alone.

Jaishankar noted that India had already raised maritime safety at the UN Security Council, co-organising a meeting with Greece and the Philippines in November 2025 on protecting seafarers, and participating in an April 2026 debate on waterway safety. The new group is designed to translate those concerns into a standing forum with real operational focus.

Modi's Seafarers Emergency Network Proposal

The maritime push has also been raised at the highest political level. Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had — at the BRICS summit India hosted two weeks earlier — proposed a seafarers' emergency support network linking maritime authorities and embassies worldwide. The network is intended to send distress alerts, arrange medical assistance, keep families informed, and support evacuations when required.

Jaishankar invited Group of Friends members to help shape the forum's procedures and terms of reference through their own discussions. He thanked participating nations and said he was keen to hear their perspectives on priorities.

What Comes Next

The Group of Friends is at its inaugural stage, and its formal terms of reference are yet to be finalised. Jaishankar indicated the structure would be built collaboratively among members. With India's diplomatic engagement spanning the Security Council, the BRICS platform, and now this UNGA-adjacent forum, maritime security has emerged as a consistent foreign-policy priority for New Delhi heading into the final months of 2026.