Indian Ocean Region
How crucial IOR is:
- Largest market: More than a third of the world’s population resides in the IOR littorals.
- Additionally, more than 70% of exports from the region are sent to nations outside the Indian Ocean, which is the route travelled by more than half of all maritime trade and commerce worldwide.
- abundant natural resources Oil, which is essential for the development of substantial industrial industries in both developed and growing countries, is produced in large quantities by the IOR littoral states.
- These plentiful maritime resources are enhanced by the substantial undersea resources that IOR is in possession of, including mineral deposits, oil and natural gas reserves, and a plethora of fish.
- Because it comprises crucial maritime choke points and Sea Lanes of Communications, the IOR is very significant (SLOCs).
IOR’s geostrategic significance for India
- India enjoys a significant advantage due to her advantageous location in the IOR, but she also faces far more difficult obstacles.
- Energy Security: The nation’s overall “sea dependence” on oil is predicted to reach 93% when all maritime oil imports, offshore oil production, and petroleum exports are considered.
- Dependence on the seas: Today, the Indian Ocean serves as the conduit for almost 95% of the volume and 68% of the value of trade between India and the rest of the world.
- Fishing and aquaculture are two industries in India that heavily rely on the resources of the Indian Ocean. Together, they account for a sizable portion of export revenue and sustain about 14 million jobs.
- Large maritime border: India is militarily exposed to potential maritime attacks due to its extensive coastline.
- Unfriendly neighbourhood: Terrorists arriving by boat carried out the 2008 Mumbai attack, one of the biggest terrorist attacks on India in recent memory.
- Unexpected and non-traditional risks: Due to the presence of non-traditional threats like piracy, smuggling, illicit fishing, and human trafficking, protecting India’s national interests necessitates securing the Indian Ocean.
- Waters that are often calm: India has been lucky to endure quiet seas during the past few decades.
- The non-traditional risks included, among others, human trafficking, piracy, and drug trafficking (IUU, or illegal, unreported, and unregulated).
- It is now more of a strategic requirement than a matter of personal preference for the West to accept this position as a source of net security.
- a domestic US problem set against a tumultuous global economic backdrop that includes a collapse in the industrial sector in the European Union and the growing possibility of trade wars between the US and China.
- Responsibility: India is expected to become a worldwide superpower in the future. Equally important is the need for worldwide responsibility.
- Capability void Regarding the apparent gap in the present capabilities, Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon, the former national security adviser of India, stated that there is a demand for India to be a net provider of security, and we need to make a decision on that.
- The IOR is under threat. Native to Indian Prism Mosaic
- The IOR makes obstructions of various sizes immediately obvious to India.
The following issues are critical for India:
- Modernization of the Pakistan Navy (PN) The PN has started a quick modernization process with a concentration on undersea warfare with support from China and her all-weather partner Turkey.
- Changes to US policy Since Trump assumed office, US policies in the Indo-Pacific have radically shifted (IPR).
- Additional dangers The non-traditional hazard spectrum of conflict encompasses issues caused by non-state actors, such as piracy, maritime terrorism, trafficking in illegal immigrants and weapons, poaching, and so on, as well as the whims of climate change.
India’s Capability to Provide Maritime Security is Restricted:
- Resource Availability vs. Requirement: In the current period of global recession, India is in a dreadful position as the second-most populous country in the world with scant resources at its disposal.
- Financial resources: Without a solid financial foundation, goals cannot be achieved. To continue serving as a provider of internet security, a significant expansion of military resources is needed.
- Civil-military relations that now exist: Strategic advantages have frequently been lost due to disputes between civil and military leadership as well as between several ministries.
- The vision of cooperation necessary for India to become a provider of internet security has not been assisted by the turf battle between the three Services.
- In order to maintain its strategic independence, India has maintained its military neutrality toward all major powers.
- Land operations should come first: India has consistently placed a high premium on managing her land border disputes with China and Pakistan as well as her full engagement in the continuing proxy war.
- The country has made a number of moves to show that it has a clear strategic objective, such as participating in the naval exercise MILAN and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
- Programs like SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), project MAUSAM, and the proposed Asia-Africa Growth Corridor have further strengthened this.
- Along with bilateral and multilateral naval drills, the Indian Navy is currently taking part in more CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) operations with Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Myanmar.
- As part of exchange programmes, India has already begun training navy personnel from other IOR countries.
- India has also been providing naval weapons to nations like Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the Seychelles.
How to Continue Ahead:
- Making a National Defense Policy: India’s lack of a national defence strategy, despite being a rising regional power and potential global force, is a remarkable paradox.
- Coherent IOR Strategy: In order to successfully engage with IOR countries, India must develop and implement a coherent IOR strategy that consists of complementary intentions and deeds.
- Strategic Island Development: The Chinese’s dredging and creation of tiny islets was astounding to the rest of the world. We have the Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands because of God’s kindness.
- The IOR as a whole would greatly benefit from a focus on IOR nation capability upgrades, particularly for each nation’s individual fleets.
- Technical advancement and capability expansion: The IN has made significant indigenization progress in comparison to the other two Services—the army and the air force.
Conclusion:
- Indians have a strong sense of goodwill and confidence in the IOR as a whole because of their fundamental values of respect for one another and peaceful coexistence.
- The smaller countries in the IOR are aware of the serious efforts being made by the Indian Navy to guarantee that international waterways can be used freely and in accordance with current international law.
- However, this objective must be supported by a comparable capability and a clear strategy.
- Without them, India would struggle to protect its own marine interests, endangering its overall national interests.
