Indian Strategy in the Indian Ocean

India’s strategy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is central to its foreign policy and maritime security vision. The Indian Ocean is not only India’s maritime backyard but also the lifeline of its trade and energy routes, connecting it to global markets and strategic partners. India’s approach to the region combines elements of security, economic engagement, regional cooperation, and strategic balance, aimed at maintaining stability, protecting national interests, and countering external influence.

Strategic Importance of the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean occupies immense strategic significance for India due to the following factors:

• Geographical Centrality: India’s peninsular location gives it a commanding position astride major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Its long coastline and island territories such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands provide natural advantages for maritime surveillance.
• Trade and Energy Security: Nearly 90 per cent of India’s trade by volume and 80 per cent of its energy imports transit through sea routes in the Indian Ocean. The stability of chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Strait of Malacca is vital for India’s economy.
• Security and Strategic Competition: The growing naval presence of China through port projects and bases—often referred to as the String of Pearls—has heightened India’s security concerns. The Indian Ocean has thus become a theatre of strategic competition between India and China.
• Regional Leadership: India aspires to play the role of a “net security provider” in the region, assisting littoral and island nations in capacity building, disaster relief, and maritime security.
• Soft Power and Connectivity: Historical, cultural, and commercial linkages with Indian Ocean countries form a natural foundation for India’s leadership in the region. Initiatives in cultural diplomacy, development assistance, and infrastructure projects further this goal.

Policy Framework and Vision

India’s maritime strategy has evolved through several key initiatives and documents:

1. SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region): Launched in 2015, this initiative defines India’s vision for the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity. It emphasises collective security, economic integration, environmental protection, and disaster management.
2. MAHASAGAR Initiative: This concept broadens the SAGAR framework to include economic partnerships, connectivity, and sustainable development, underlining India’s ambition to engage with the entire Global South through ocean diplomacy.
3. Indian Maritime Security Strategy (2015): The Indian Navy’s strategic document outlines three pillars:
   • Strengthening maritime security and stability in the Indian Ocean.
   • Enhancing naval capabilities to project power and protect sea lanes.
   • Promoting regional cooperation through partnerships and joint exercises.

Strategic Instruments and Implementation

India employs a combination of military, diplomatic, and developmental tools to achieve its objectives in the Indian Ocean.
1. Naval and Military Strength:

• India has built a blue-water navy capable of extended operations, equipped with aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, and submarines.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Command, India’s only tri-service command, acts as a forward base for monitoring the eastern Indian Ocean.
• Continuous anti-piracy patrols and Operation Sankalp in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea demonstrate India’s maritime reach.
• The Integrated Coastal Surveillance System (ICSS), including radar chains along India’s coast and in partner nations, enhances maritime domain awareness (MDA).

2. Diplomatic and Cooperative Measures:

• India leads regional initiatives such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) to promote collective maritime security.
• Bilateral and multilateral naval exercises, including MALABAR, VARUNA, and MILAN, build interoperability with partner navies.
• Capacity-building programmes for smaller littoral states include training, hydrographic surveys, and coastal security assistance.

3. Development and Connectivity:

• India invests in port development, digital connectivity, and energy infrastructure in Indian Ocean countries.
• Projects such as Sittwe Port (Myanmar), Chabahar Port (Iran), and initiatives in Mauritius, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka support India’s maritime diplomacy.
• Cultural initiatives like Project Mausam promote India’s shared heritage with other Indian Ocean civilizations.

Strategic Posture: Sea Control and Sea Denial

India’s maritime strategy incorporates both sea control and sea denial doctrines.

• Sea Control: Refers to maintaining dominance in critical maritime zones and ensuring freedom of navigation for Indian and allied vessels.
• Sea Denial: Focuses on denying adversaries access to India’s maritime domain, especially through submarines and surveillance assets.

Given its resource limitations and the expanding Chinese presence, India increasingly emphasises sea denial and deterrence, supported by alliances and partnerships.

Challenges and Constraints

While India’s maritime strategy is robust in intent, it faces several challenges:

• Resource Limitations: Naval modernisation and maintenance require significant investment. India’s submarine fleet, for instance, remains inadequate for extended operations.
• Geographical Scale: The vastness of the Indian Ocean makes constant monitoring and control difficult.
• External Competition: China’s naval expansion and influence through port projects in Gwadar, Hambantota, and Djibouti challenge India’s dominance.
• Balancing Autonomy and Alliances: India must navigate its partnerships, particularly within the Quad (India, US, Japan, Australia), while maintaining its strategic independence.
• Non-Traditional Threats: Piracy, human trafficking, illegal fishing, and climate change pose ongoing non-military risks that require multilateral responses.

Recent Developments

• Enhanced Maritime Surveillance: Expansion of radar networks and satellite monitoring systems has improved India’s ability to track maritime activity.
• Naval Diplomacy: India’s participation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations, such as those following the 2004 tsunami, has reinforced its image as a responsible regional power.
• Strategic Partnerships: Defence cooperation agreements with France, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, and the U.S. have strengthened maritime interoperability.
• Infrastructure Expansion: Development of naval bases in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and access arrangements with friendly nations enhance India’s operational reach.

Strategic Outlook and Goals

India’s approach to the Indian Ocean rests on several key objectives:

1. Ensuring freedom of navigation and security of sea lines of communication (SLOCs).
2. Maintaining regional stability and preventing dominance by any extra-regional power.
3. Building cooperative maritime security architecture with like-minded nations.
4. Promoting blue economy initiatives and sustainable use of marine resources.
5. Strengthening India’s position as a net security provider and leading power in the IOR.