Regional Maritime diplomacy forms a major constituent of security and blue economy models of growth and development. In this regard, India’s regional maritime diplomacy is shaped by its own interests and also in response to action of other nations. However, as a policy India seeks to secure the seas to attain its objectives for a free, open, transparent, rules-based, peaceful, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
While India had earlier focused on the Indian Ocean Region, developments beyond this region have resulted in an expansion of India’s maritime interests to include the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman, the Gulf of Aden and their littoral regions, the Southwest Indian Ocean, including IOR island nations therein and East Coast of Africa littoral regions. Though the South China Sea, the East China Sea, Western Pacific Ocean and their littoral regions continue to remain of secondary importance, these maritime areas are also gaining salience due India’s substantial interest and investment in infrastructure, business ventures and minerals and commodities in some of these countries in line with its Act East Policy and its overtures to the Small Island Developing States in the Pacific Ocean.
Given the situation arising out of the COVID pandemic, the realignment of various great powers and increasing importance of the Indian Ocean Region there is a vital need to review India’s options in this changed environment. Amongst various institutionalised arrangements the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the BIMSTEC could be prioritised,
With Bangladesh assuminhg the Chair of the IORA in 2021 India shoud begin to coordinate with the IORA countries on steering a larger Post COVID collaborative agenda in the region.