Introduction – India In The Indo-Pacific Region: India is an Indo-Pacific nation-state. There are no qualms regarding this statement. Situated at the very epicentre of the region, India finds itself privileged and blessed in terms of geography to more conveniently deal with the region’s rising woes and problems. The Indo-Pacific region is an amalgamation of the Indian and (western, to be more precise) Pacific oceans. The quantum stretch of the region is approximately 150 million sq km. The region is home not only to the various geographies of embedded nation-states but also hosts extra-regional powers such as the United States of America (USA). India defines the Indo-Pacific as stretching from the shores of eastern Africa to the western Americas. This encapsulates an entire region crucial to Indian national interests and policy formulation. It comprises close to 40 countries and extra-regional powers such as France and the United Kingdom are present through their overseas territories.

The Indo-Pacific region is deemed to largely be a maritime construct given that the linkages in the area, have to do with significant geo-economic activity above all else. However, there is a developing maritime threat perception of the region owing to the many traditional and non-traditional challenges that are clearly prevalent and growing in menace. The Indo-Pacific, these days, is witness to large-scale naval activity that is meant to enhance maritime security and envisage a broader role for the countries of the region.

India’s naval force is large, highly capable and committed. It comprises more than 150 vessels, submarines, and over 300 aircraft. India’s vast coastline of 7,500 km is to be secured at all costs and at all times. It is vulnerable to threats posed by maritime terrorism and other non-traditional factors

This role has much to do with more responsibility in the maritime domain in terms of economics, security, and all else. The Indo-Pacific is also often associated with massive geo-economic corridors and infrastructure initiatives meant to boost connectivity and unity among the region’s countries. Of particular note is the blossoming Indian partnership with Japan in regions such as eastern Africa and the Bay of Bengal countries. Japan is deemed to be a solid partner of India and the relationship is timeless.

A Naval Perspective on India in the Indo-Pacific Region

India is a preeminent naval power that finds itself located in the fundamental territorial definition of the Indo-Pacific region, more specifically the Indian Ocean region (IOR). The IOR is home to a large number of maritime states and India is one of the key names among them. Thus, the interplay between geography and maritime security leads to the maintenance and development of a vast naval force, and India is at the very top as far as the deployment of naval forces in the Indo-Pacific region is concerned. India’s latest maritime security strategy is entitled “Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy”. This document was released in end-2014 and makes clear the Indian obligations toward the maritime space in its immediate neighbourhood and even beyond. The question that persists is: what strides has India made in the naval sphere and the Indo-Pacific region at large? Firstly, it must be mentioned that India’s is a large (and growing) naval force that is also a highly capable and committed one. It comprises over 150 vessels (attack and support), submarines, and over 300 aircraft in its naval air arm. The Indian Navy (IN) identifies the immediate maritime neighbourhood as a necessity for its deeds and, therefore, helps India identify with the Indo-Pacific region over time. The IN is deployed across several major bases in the southern part of the country. It operates through two major commands (one each, for the western and eastern seaboards) and one training command in south India. India’s vast coastline of 7,500 km is to be secured at all costs and at all times. It is vulnerable to threats posed by maritime terrorism and other non-traditional threats.

India is a generous donor of military equipment to its partners in need. India has donated maritime-military vessels to countries such as Seychelles and Vietnam. India keeps a wary eye on China while engaging in such friendly diplomacy which is meant to boost its ties with its time-tested friends and partners in the Indo-Pacific

Secondly, the IN is challenged across a number of fronts as far as core maritime security is concerned. Coupled with traditional threats such as the asphyxiation of the naval space by notorious foreign navies (China, for example), India’s navy is also dealing with threats emanating from the non-traditional realm. Thus, the fundamental strides made by the Indian Navy in the region are geared towards ensuring that the threat spectrum is curtailed and monitored on a routine basis. The situation must be advantageous for such a massive and capable naval force. The operational aspects of the navy thus involve, as per the IMSS-2015, sea lanes security, maritime-naval assistance, provision of relief during disasters, and surveillance of the region (among others). Moreover, India is also a generous donor of military equipment to its partners in need. India has donated maritime-military vessels to countries such as Seychelles and Vietnam. It has been rightly argued that India keeps a wary eye on China while engaging in such friendly diplomacy which is meant to boost its ties with its time-tested friends and partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Thirdly, India and its navy are stringing together key strategic partnerships (with partner countries) and the Indian government is also committed to strategies and plans that have been devised by itself. This includes the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) with seven pillars marked specifically to the Indo-Pacific region’s evolving operational requirements. Moreover, India is also actively involved in new projects such as the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC). These activities will raise considerable maritime-naval interest on India’s part and this will also not be just from a securitising point-of-view. Further, alliances not composed with a specific military perspective, such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), are also a part of Indian strides in the Indo-Pacific region.

India is actively involved in new projects such as the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC). These activities will raise considerable maritime-naval interest on India’s part and this will not be just from a securitising point-of-view

The importance of the QUAD has been raised to the leaders’ level and it cannot be ruled out that the QUAD will consider maritime security crucial at some point in the near future. Other mini-laterals include the I2U2 (India-Israel-US-UAE) alliance. These, too, are central to the Indo-Pacific region. India’s presence in the Indo-Pacific is guided by two key policy measures: the Neighbourhood First policy and the Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) framework. It must be mentioned that even initiatives such as I2U2 and the newly-announced IMEC are integral to the Indo-Pacific despite being more central to the western periphery of the region. India’s Act East Policy (AEP) is also better synergised with a broader outlook of the Indo-Pacific region. The vast majority of the Indo-Pacific lies to India’s east and diplomacy with friends and extended neighbours is a must.

Conclusion – A Challenging Future

Exceedingly, it is believed by scholars in unison that the grandest threat posed to the vitality of the Indo-Pacific region is by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). With rampant disregard for the international rules-based order, the PLAN is deemed a security threat for most navies, small and big. The PLAN’s audacious manoeuvres across the length and breadth of the Indo-Pacific, a region that China doesn’t recognise, also provide ample proof of covert Chinese interests in the region. After all, China’s geography compels it to look at the Indo-Pacific very seriously since it lies entirely within the grasp of the region. On its part, India doles out assistance in the form of patrol vessels and others to help the region’s fledgling economies come up to the mark when dealing with the many threats posed in the region. Because of Indian involvement, coastal surveillance in the Indo-Pacific has vastly improved from being almost entirely absent earlier.

Indian foreign policy is now at a turning point since the maritime-naval domain is intricately linked to a broader foreign policy strategy for India. The rise of the Indo-Pacific region necessitates a foreign policy strategy that combines the best of maritime security and self-interested geoeconomics. The security of trade routes majorly passing through the oceans and critical chokepoints is, thus, non-negotiable. Maritime trade is the lifeblood of the economy. Foreign policy outreach involves partnering with friendly countries such as Japan and the United States to counter China and the PLAN in the Indo-Pacific region. A rapidly advancing PLAN is cause for concern for India.

The alliances such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) are a part of Indian strides in the Indo-Pacific region. Other mini-laterals include the I2U2 (India-Israel-US-UAE) alliance, which is central to the Indo-Pacific region

A foreign policy strategy is almost considered necessary for the many strides being made by India in the Indo-Pacific region from a naval perspective. There is a quid pro quo associated with this aspect since India’s diplomatic and strategic profile can be expanded through extensive involvement in the Indo-Pacific. Thus, a foreign policy strategy now includes partnerships and quasi-alliances with partners such as Japan and the United States. Further, foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific is being increasingly determined by Chinese actions, strategies, and propaganda. It has been noted that China is the outstanding existential threat to India – a mantle previously occupied by Pakistan. India’s many visions and strategies constitute a grand foreign policy in itself.

To conclude, it has been made clear by a Raksha Anirveda video on the Indian Navy Day of 2020 that the seas and the oceans are where it starts for the Indian Navy. And India, too, for that matter.

-The writer is a Research Fellow at Defence Research and Studies (DRaS) and has been most notably associated previously with the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi, as a Researcher. His core work lies in the domains of International Relations, the Maritime Domain, and Strategic Studies. His geographical focus areas are the Indian subcontinent, Southeast and East Asia (Japan, South Korea, ASEAN), and the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific regions. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda