CHANGING DYNAMICS OF INDIA'S MARITIME POLICY

The ever-dynamic and vacillating maritime strategy of India has been an acknowledgement and response to myriad geopolitical demands, aiming to suit its ambition in the wider global order.

- DR. ANASUA BASU RAY CHAUDHURY AND SOHINI NAYAK*

Consequently, there has been a perpetual renewal of maritime security propositions and geopolitical imperatives, over the last decade or so, aimed at widening the diplomatic pursuit for India. One such domain is the Indo-Pacific narrative, gaining salience in the recent past, highlighting India’s strategic re-orientation witnessed in the country’s new and evolving maritime policy. The strategic delimitation of the Indo-Pacific has been aptly extended by the country to encompass not only the eastward movement of India across the Bay of Bengal, beyond the ASEAN nations but also the western expanse- to the western Indian Ocean, the island nations of the Arabian Sea and eastern shores of Africa.1 This is one zone of convergence for India, having evolved from growing security, connectivity and economic interests.2 That being so, India’s maritime approach has felt the necessity to evolve from a more benevolent proposition to a dominant and aspiring force by expanding its ambit of opportunities and outreach facilitation.

Interestingly, India has found itself amidst increasing contestations among the major global powers- the primary stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific, like Australia, Japan, the USA and China with the increasing trade transits and strategic nodes. The country’s transformative attempt for the maritime space by creating a seamless stretch of security architecture, moving from the coasts up to the high seas, capacity building through appropriate acquirement and manufacturing with increased investments and the evolving significance of the Navy have been noteworthy here.