By Anu Chauhan

Abstract

This article scrutinizes India’s crucial position in the Indian Ocean. It analyzes the geopolitical significance of India’s location in the Indian Ocean, identifies its challenges, and highlights its opportunities. Despite being threatened by maritime security and rivalries from great powers, India’s strategic location promotes regional stability and economic growth by forming strategic partnerships and engaging in diplomatic relations. India can use its maritime capabilities and geographical advantage to promote a secure and prosperous Indian Ocean region.

Introduction:

“Whoever attains maritime supremacy in the Indian Ocean would be a prominent player on the international scene”

Alfred Thayer Mahan, a prominent naval strategist, expressed his views on the importance of maritime supremacy, including control over the Indian Ocean, in his influential work “The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–1783,” published in 1890. This quote highlights the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean in global geopolitics and maritime affairs. It suggests that control over the Indian Ocean could confer significant influence and power on a nation or alliance of nations due to its vital role in trade, transportation, and military operations. Throughout history, the Indian Ocean has been a crucial player in global trade. The Indian Ocean has become an important channel for trade, commerce, and energy. The waters of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) have become a hub for economic growth, disputes, conflicts, and competition for regional influence by both regional and extra-regional powers. All major powers, including the United States, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, and China, have sought to secure their interests in the Indian Ocean Region . The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world’s five oceans and spans across Asia in the North, Africa in the West, Indo-China in the East, and Antarctica in the South. It is home to four crucial waterways: the Suez Canal, Bab-el Mandeb, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Strait of Malacca. The Indian Ocean connects the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas, making it the busiest trade route in the world. Approximately 80% of the world’s maritime oil trade passes through the Indian Ocean. 

The Indian Ocean’s strategic location at the crossroads of major international trade routes, coupled with its vast expanse and abundant natural resources, has made it a crucial geopolitical player in global affairs. As one of the largest littoral states bordering the ocean, India recognizes the importance of the region and seeks to establish itself as a significant actor in shaping its future. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), stated that “India’s maritime sector is of vital significance to our economy, and every effort should be made to strengthen it.” He also stated that India’s fate is closely intertwined with the Indian Ocean, which has played a significant role in shaping our history and will continue to shape our future in terms of economic progress, security, and our relationships with nations in the region and beyond.

The leitmotif of this article is to answer what is the current strategic position of India in IOR. India has been claiming its position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for a long time. Even before its independence in 1945, the well-known Indian historian and former Indian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Mr. K. M. Panikar, had urged India’s future leaders to take direct responsibility for the defense of the Indian Ocean. He added that India’s security lies in the Indian Ocean.  Furthermore, Admiral Arun Prakash former Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Army once mentioned that India is a natural leader of the ocean and should take its rightful place as the region’s prominent power. Arun Prakash  Undoubtedly, by focusing on today’s scenario, as far as great power competition is concerned, Indian ambitions vis-a-vis this region are soaring once again. In 2015, during his speech in Mauritius, PM Modi declared that India is at the crossroads of the Indian Ocean, and the region is a top policy priority for Delhi. 

Geo-political significance

India, as a nation strategically located along the shores of the Indian Ocean, plays a crucial role in shaping the geopolitical landscape of the region, covering 7500 kilometers of coastline, with an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) over 2.37 million sq. km. About 95% of India’s trade by volume and about 74% by value travels over the sea are routed via The Indian Ocean. It maximizes its maritime strength to navigate a complex network of economic interests, security concerns, and diplomatic relationships and plays a pivotal role in shaping the region’s strategic future. India relies heavily on the resources of the Indian Ocean. The fishing and aquaculture industries alone employ over 14 million people. Therefore, India needs to establish a strong presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The marine fisheries wealth along the Indian coastline is estimated to have an annual harvest potential of 4.1 million metric tonnes. The Indian Ocean plays a crucial role in India’s trade and energy security, as a significant portion of its trade and oil imports pass through its waters. India heavily relies on the sea for its oil needs, with 93% of its offshore oil production and petroleum exports being transported by sea, as reported by the Indian Navy. Additionally, India is the fourth-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with 45% of its LNG imports coming by sea.

There is a need to exert control in the region to combat non-traditional threats such as organized crime, piracy, terrorism, smuggling, illegal fishing, and human trafficking. Militarily, a long coastline makes India vulnerable to potential threats emerging from the sea. China’s increasing presence in the northern Indian Ocean in the form of BRI and deployment of its submarines and ships in the area pose a challenge to India. K.M. Pannikar mentioned that the Indian Ocean could only be an important ocean to other countries, but to India, it is a vital sea because its lifelines are concentrated in that area. 

Challenges

There are a plethora of maritime security threats like smuggling, maritime terrorism, armed robberies at sea, human trafficking, irregular movement of persons, drug trafficking, illicit trafficking in wildlife, trafficking of weapons, IUU fishing, climate change, among others. Several terrorist organizations, ranging from Al Qaeda to Jammah Islamiah, utilize maritime routes across the Indian Ocean region, specifically around India, to conduct arms and narcotics trafficking. This illicit trade serves as a source of funding for their operations. Piracy is also a significant problem in various parts of the Indian Ocean, such as the Malacca Straits and the Horn of Africa. Therefore, it is essential to have a strong Indian maritime presence to combat these threats. 

India’s primary concern regarding China is the increasing influence of its investments and infrastructure in the Indian Ocean, which are associated with the Belt and Road initiative. China’s navy is presently the third-largest in the world, superseding the Indian navy in both qualitative and quantitative terms, and is considered to be a significant threat to India’s security in the region. A military power report China is acquiring naval bases at crucial chokepoints in the Indian Ocean for economic and strategic purposes. The Indian Ocean is an important trade route for China’s energy supplies. It is crucial to protect this route to ensure the smooth functioning of China’s economy. 

Recently, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released a report titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China in 2021.” According to the report, China’s top ten crude oil suppliers are mostly reliant on the Indian Ocean for transportation. The protection of these vital sea lanes of communication (SLOCs) will be a top priority for China as it continues its expansion across the region. The first pearl of China is Chittagong port, followed by Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, and then Coco Island. China is also engaging in developing a base in Thailand and Cambodia to get a better sit on the Strait of Malacca. Hambantota port in Sri Lanka is another pearl of China’s string. The next spot is Marao Atoll Feydhoo Finolhu Island of Maldives. After President Mohamed Muizzu came into power, Male brought a challenge to India itself, by seeing the contemporary relationship of India-Maldives. However, Maldives is a vital Indian Ocean foothold. Gwadar Port in Pakistan is located at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, giving direct access to China to the world’s most important oil checkpoint. Apart from that Chinese Naval Base in Djibouti secures China’s economic and security interests in Africa, the Middle East, and the Red Sea. 

The growing presence of China in the Indian Ocean and its rising military, political, and economic influence in the region is a major concern for India. This is due to the fact that India and China are already in a border standoff along their northern continental borders, which further exacerbates the tense and volatile situation. A more dominant China in the Indian Ocean only intensifies the competition between India and China, both on land and at sea. 

Opportunities:

China’s expansion plan is providing opportunities for India. China’s string of pearls is strategically encircling India. India has negotiated agreements with numerous states inside the littoral IOR to acquire navy and get admission to their bases. To the China contour, India launched Project Sagar (Security and Growth for All in the region)  i.e, Necklace of Diamonds with a Changi base in Singapore, following the Sabang base in Indonesia, Duqum port In Oman, and Chabahar in Iran. ‘SAGAR’, an acronym for Security and Growth for All in the Region, is the vision of the Prime Minister’s office toward the Indian Ocean policy.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India is structured into divisions. In 2016, a new Indian Ocean division was created, which focuses on bilateral relations with India’s maritime neighbors including Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles. In 2019, the MEA updated its policy and added two more island nations, Madagascar and Comoros, to the division. In 2020, a new division for the Indo-Pacific was established due to the growing strategic importance of the Indian Ocean region. The main objective of this division is to advance India’s vision of the Indo-Pacific, which calls for a free, inclusive, and open order in the region. This expansion reflects the increasing significance of the Indian Ocean in global discourse. India prioritizes its regional neighbors in its foreign policy and aims to maintain stability and security in the region, despite the influence of China. This approach is guided by the “Neighborhood First” policy, which includes two of its maritime neighbors – Sri Lanka and Maldives – in the South Asia-Indian Ocean Region.

India is using its naval forces to strengthen its diplomatic goals abroad, in particular in shaping the strategic surroundings in and across the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is a dynamic inter-governmental organisation aimed toward strengthening nearby cooperation and sustainable improvement inside the Indian Ocean area thru its 23 Member States and 12 Dialogue Partners. Quad informal alliance of USA, Australia, Japan, and India, is also another example of this opportunity. 

Conclusion :

India is a rising power, it is willing to fulfill its maritime responsibilities in the region. Admiral Arun Prakash, a former chief of Naval staff of Indian Navy mentioned that India is a natural leader of the Indian Ocean and should take its rightful place as the region’s preeminent power.

Author’s Bio

Anu Chauhan is a first year Master’s student pursuing diplomacy, law and business. She had done her graduation in History Hons. from University of Delhi. She is currently working as an research intern at NKCSEAS and also with a political consultancy as an intern in PPGF. She is interested in International relation, and because of her professional knowledge in History she is capable of having an insight of matter through the history spectrum.

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