Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)

The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) is a strategic framework introduced by the Government of India in November 2019 to promote regional cooperation, sustainable development, and a rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region. Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok, the IPOI reflects India’s vision for an inclusive, open, and stable maritime domain. It seeks to address both traditional and non-traditional security challenges through multilateral collaboration, emphasising the principles of “Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)”.

Background and Context

The concept of the Indo-Pacific has gained global prominence in recent years, replacing older geopolitical notions such as the “Asia-Pacific.” The Indo-Pacific now encompasses the vast maritime expanse stretching from the eastern coast of Africa through the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean. This region is home to over 65 per cent of the world’s population and accounts for nearly two-thirds of global trade and GDP. Its sea lanes are among the most crucial for international commerce, energy transportation, and global supply chains.
However, increasing geopolitical competition, environmental degradation, and maritime security threats have made the Indo-Pacific a region of both opportunity and tension. Rising concerns over freedom of navigation, maritime disputes, piracy, and illegal fishing prompted India to conceptualise the IPOI as a framework for cooperation and resilience-building among like-minded nations.
The IPOI also complements existing regional initiatives such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Quad, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). It aims to bridge these frameworks through practical cooperation in maritime governance and sustainable development.

Objectives of the IPOI

The IPOI’s overarching goal is to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific through an open, inclusive, and collaborative approach. The initiative encourages countries to participate in issue-based partnerships rather than formal alliances. Its main objectives include:

• Ensuring maritime security and upholding international maritime law.
• Promoting sustainable use of ocean resources through environmentally responsible policies.
• Enhancing connectivity and trade infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific.
• Strengthening disaster resilience and humanitarian response capabilities.
• Fostering academic and technological cooperation in marine sciences.
• Building regional capacity through training, resource-sharing, and knowledge exchange.

By encouraging voluntary participation, the IPOI serves as a flexible and inclusive framework that allows states to collaborate in areas of mutual interest without political or military alignment.

Structure and Thematic Pillars

The IPOI is organised around seven thematic pillars, each representing a critical area of maritime cooperation. Partner countries are invited to lead or co-lead these pillars based on their expertise and strategic interests.

1. Maritime Security: Focuses on strengthening regional maritime domain awareness, combating piracy, trafficking, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It also promotes cooperation in search and rescue operations and upholding the freedom of navigation in accordance with UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).
2. Maritime Ecology: Dedicated to preserving marine biodiversity, addressing ocean pollution, and mitigating the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems. This pillar seeks to foster joint research on coral reef protection and ocean acidification.
3. Maritime Resources: Aims to promote the sustainable use of living and non-living marine resources, including fisheries management, mineral exploration, and biotechnology. It also seeks to prevent overexploitation of marine ecosystems.
4. Capacity Building and Resource Sharing: Encourages cooperation in education, training, and skill development. This includes the exchange of best practices, technology transfer, and institutional collaboration among maritime agencies.
5. Disaster Risk Reduction and Management: Enhances regional capacity to deal with natural disasters such as tsunamis, cyclones, and coastal flooding. It encourages joint response mechanisms, information sharing, and early warning systems.
6. Science, Technology, and Academic Cooperation: Promotes innovation in ocean research, satellite monitoring, marine data sharing, and academic partnerships. The focus is on developing indigenous technologies for sustainable marine resource management.
7. Trade, Connectivity, and Maritime Transport: Seeks to improve maritime infrastructure, logistics, and port connectivity. It also promotes resilient and secure supply chains, digital trade routes, and the development of the Blue Economy as a driver of growth.

This modular design enables flexibility, allowing countries to participate in specific pillars based on their priorities and expertise rather than adhering to a rigid institutional framework.

Participating Countries and Partnerships

The IPOI is not a treaty-based organisation but a voluntary and inclusive platform. India serves as the coordinating country, while other nations have taken leadership roles in individual pillars:

• Australia leads the Maritime Ecology pillar.
• France and India jointly lead Maritime Resources.
• Japan leads the Connectivity and Infrastructure pillar.
• Indonesia has shown interest in Maritime Security cooperation.
• Singapore and the United Kingdom have contributed to Science and Academic Cooperation.

These collaborations complement existing regional arrangements, ensuring that the IPOI does not duplicate but rather strengthens ongoing efforts under ASEAN, IORA, and EAS frameworks.

Strategic and Economic Importance

The IPOI holds strategic importance for ensuring the Indo-Pacific’s stability, particularly amid shifting power dynamics and growing maritime competition. It supports:

• Freedom of navigation and overflight across international waters.
• Protection of sea lanes of communication (SLOCs) crucial for trade and energy transport.
• Cooperation against non-traditional threats like terrorism, piracy, and smuggling.
• Promotion of the Blue Economy, which includes fisheries, renewable energy, aquaculture, and coastal tourism.
• Sustainable maritime trade, ensuring resilient global supply chains.

Economically, the IPOI complements India’s initiatives such as SAGAR, Project Mausam, and Sagarmala, linking maritime security with economic growth.

Environmental and Sustainable Development Dimensions

A unique feature of the IPOI is its emphasis on environmental sustainability. It aligns closely with UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water), focusing on protecting marine biodiversity and reducing pollution.
Under the Maritime Ecology pillar, projects address:

• Reduction of plastic waste and chemical pollutants in the oceans.
• Promotion of renewable ocean energy, including tidal and wave power.
• Protection of coral reefs and mangroves as natural defences against coastal erosion.
• Promotion of climate-resilient fisheries and sustainable coastal livelihoods.

These goals underscore the initiative’s role not only as a strategic framework but also as a blue environmental charter for sustainable ocean governance.

Implementation Mechanisms

The IPOI functions through multilateral coordination and expert working groups rather than a centralised institution. Implementation involves:

• Workshops, policy dialogues, and academic exchanges to identify practical areas of cooperation.
• Joint training programmes for maritime security, environmental protection, and disaster management.
• Information-sharing networks for maritime domain awareness and research data.
• Public-private partnerships for investment in green port infrastructure and marine technology.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs coordinates IPOI activities in collaboration with international partners, think tanks, and universities.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite its broad vision, the IPOI faces several challenges:

• Lack of a permanent institutional structure can make coordination complex.
• Overlapping mandates with existing frameworks like the Quad and IORA may dilute focus.
• Divergent priorities among participating nations can affect the pace of implementation.
• Resource constraints and varying technological capacities across countries limit uniform progress.

Nevertheless, its non-prescriptive and modular approach offers flexibility, allowing the IPOI to evolve organically through partnerships rather than rigid formal mechanisms.

Future Prospects

As the Indo-Pacific continues to emerge as the focal point of global geopolitics and economics, the IPOI’s relevance is expected to increase. The initiative is poised to support:

• Enhanced maritime security cooperation among regional navies.
• Expanded research collaboration on climate and marine sciences.
• Greater connectivity through digital and physical maritime networks.
• Deepened people-to-people and institutional linkages across the Indo-Pacific.

In the long term, the IPOI could evolve into a central framework harmonising various regional and global maritime initiatives, reinforcing the idea of inclusive multilateralism in ocean governance.