Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid emphasis on maritime security and cooperation, especially in the Indian Ocean region as part of India’s foreign policy priorities in the immediate and extended neighbourhood. It was also chosen as the theme for the Asean leaders retreat at Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi last week.

The maritime dimension had not had a prominent place in India’s foreign interests for several decades. But the importance of maritime trade in the globalised world has added another dimension to maritime security and the freedom of navigation in recent times. India has been considering its role as the major power in the Indian Ocean, where it can be one of the key security providers in the region. Power equations in the Indian Ocean have implications for the wider region as some of the busiest sea lanes in the world run across the ocean. The Indian Ocean carries over a third of global cargo and two-thirds of global oil shipments, most of it going to the large Asian economies, China, India, South Korea and Japan.

Early in his tenure as Prime Minister, Modi undertook a tour of three Indian Ocean islands, Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka: both near and distant maritime neighbours. In Mauritius and Seychelles, two agreements were signed for the development of two remote islands, Agalega island in Mauritius and Assumption island in Seychelles. Modi spoke of the SAGAR initiative, the acronym for Security and Growth for All in the Region, when he invited the two Indian Ocean island states to join the existing maritime security cooperation among India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India seeks a climate of trust and transparency, adherence to international maritime rules and norms, and freedom of navigation through the initiative.

The agreement with Seychelles ran into controversy after a change of government in Seychelles. Critics in Seychelles raised the issue of loss of sovereignty in handing over the island to India. India reworked the agreement for development and management of Assumption Island with the new government. A revised agreement was signed last week during the visit of outgoing Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. India will renovate the airstrip, upgrade the jetty and build facilities for the Seychelles Coast Guard, which will use them as a forward base for patrolling the EEZ as well as search and rescue missions. Seychelles President Danny Faure described the Assumption project as one of “utmost importance” to Seychelles. The Indian Ocean island nation has a wide exclusive economic zone which is sparsely patrolled by the Seychelles forces that leaves it open to poaching by foreign fishing vessels.

With United States President Donald Trump dropping the old expression of Asia-Pacific in favour of the Indo-Pacific, the larger region is being ascribed as taking centre stage in the 21st century. Asia is the main part of Indo-Pacific, which stretches from the western coastline of the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, combining the two oceans and their littoral and hinterland states in a single strategic space. It links two major trade routes from Asia to the US and Europe. But China’s aggressive posture in the South China Sea has created turbulence in the region and its forays into the Indian Ocean have increased apprehensions.

As China modernises its military and expands its naval reach, the presence of the People’s Liberation Army (Navy) in the Indian Ocean is inevitable as it is a crucial trade route for China, especially for its oil imports. Just a decade ago, a PLAN ship in the Indian Ocean was an unusual event, but China undertook anti-piracy operations in 2008, and now Chinese naval ships sailing the Indian Ocean are a routine feature. Chinese ships have even conducted live fire drills in the region. 

Beijing has set up a naval base in Djibouti. Described as a logistics and supply centre, it has a major strategic significance, located at the mouth of the Red Sea, facing the Gulf of Aden and the Somalian coastline. The area is one of the two main choke points for global trade in Indian Ocean, the other one being the Malacca Straits on the eastern Indian Ocean. China’s Maritime Silk Route concept, part of its Belt and Road Initiative envisages a string of ports across the Indian Ocean, many of them built or renovated by Chinese enterprises, connecting various regions to China.

With its Indo-Pacific strategy, Washington would like to strengthen its defence cooperation with India to counter China’s influence in the region. India wants a presence in the South China Sea, which is an important trade route for India. But, while India is increasing its engagement with the Southeast Asian region, New Delhi’s strategic objectives do not match the US interests. India needs to look at its own interests and build closer cooperation with its Indian Ocean neighbours for maritime security.