India’s Maritime Security

GS-paper-2 International affairs – Indian Ocean

Amid recent clashes between India and China over Galway valley, the Indian Prime Minister, while addressing the armed forces, held that the “era of expansionism is over”. This signalled India's stance that it will not abide by the Chinese Aggressive posture at the LAC.

Though India and China finally agreed to withdraw their troops and agreed to work for mutual peace and cooperation, India should remain wary of Chinese tactics of salami-slicing. Under this strategy, China goes for territorial expansion in small proportion through military intimidation while proclaiming its commitment to peace and tranquillity.

In this context, it is argued by many foreign policy experts that India should counter China not only on land frontiers but also in the maritime domain. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive maritime doctrine for India.

India’s Stakes in Maritime Domain

Security Imperative: Apart from China’s aggressive posture around land borders, its military presence is growing in the Indian Ocean too. This can be depicted by the strategy of String of pearls.

***Further, China is modernising its military base at Djibouti, an artificial island in the Maldives and there are similar reports regarding Gwadar port in Pakistan.

Geo-Economics of Indian Oceans: Geopolitics is entwined with geoeconomics and its focus on matters of control and access to economic resources.

• India’s exports and imports remained mostly across the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean. Consequently, secure Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) have been a key security issue for India in the twenty-first century.
• In addition, the Central Indian Ocean Basin became the scene for deep sea exploration and licences for scarce mineral resources.

India’s Geo-strategic Location: India is centrally located between the eastern and western stretches of the Indian Ocean, thereby able to deploy naval forces in both directions more easily than other littoral states in the Indian Ocean.

• This maritime can be reflected by Milan naval exercises.
• Milan essentially became a political statement and networking exercise, showing India’s ability to take an active and leading role towards other Indo-Pacific states, unaffected by the presence of larger outside powers like the United States or China

PT SHOT

• Milan naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal have been organized by India since 1995.
• By 2012 and 2014, these exercises involved a wide swathe of Indian Ocean actors in the shape of Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Brunei, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Conclusion

Establishing Sagar Panchayat: India can collaborate with Indian Ocean Rim countries to establish the common good order at sea. Given India’s geostrategic location, it could sherpa a cluster of Indo-Pacific nations into a “sagar panchayat” and uphold the rule of law at sea.

Strategic Alignment: In order to secure Sea Lanes of Communication, enhancing interoperability at sea, intelligence- sharing and maintaining freedom of navigation, India should work together with like-minded nations.

In this context, the four-nation Quad (United States, Japan, Australia and India) is a work in progress. This grouping can be expanded by including ASEAN nations.

Developing Blue-water Naval Capabilities: Given India’s stakes in the Indian Ocean, it is very significant for India to develop blue-water naval capabilities. Apart from developing indigenous naval capacity, there is a need to push for the development of three aircraft carrier groups, one for each Command, and set to operate in western, southern, and eastern quadrants of the Indian Ocean.

Exploiting China’s Maritime Vulnerability: Though China has shown aggressive posture in the South China Sea and as well as Indian ocean, it has been anxious about its vulnerability at sea — or what is referred to as the Malacca dilemma. Taking this in cognizance, India should develop sea-denial capability mainly at choke points in Indian ocean such as Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, and Strait of Malacca.

Sea-Denial Capability

Sea denial is a military term describing attempts to deny the enemy's ability to use the sea without necessarily attempting to control the sea for its own use.

The simultaneous rise of India and China is an important paradigm shift in the international system. This new paradigm shift will require India to focus on not only land boundaries but also maritime security.

SAGAR: Indian Ocean

GS-PAPER-2 India Ocean security

Recently, India was admitted to Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as an observer member. This development is one of the steps in India’s strategic vision (SAGAR) for the Indian Ocean.

In 2015, India unveiled it's strategic vision for the Indian Ocean i.e. Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). It is an increasing recognition of the increasing importance of maritime security, maritime commons and cooperation.

Through SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities. For this, India would cooperate on the exchange of information, coastal surveillance, the building of infrastructure and strengthening their capabilities.

Further, India seeks to safeguard its national interests and ensure the Indian Ocean region becomes inclusive, collaborative and respects international law.

Need: Blue Economy

The blue economy presents India with an unprecedented opportunity to meet its national socio-economic objectives (livelihood generation, achieving energy security, building ecological resilience etc.) as well as strong connectivity with neighbours.

Apart from it, the blue economy provides many opportunities:

• Oceans provide a substantial portion of the global population with food and livelihood, as well as transportation for 80% of global trade.
• The seabed currently provides 32% of the global supply of hydrocarbons, with exploration expanding. The sea also offers vast potential for renewable blue energy production from wind, wave, tidal, thermal and biomass sources.
• New technologies are opening frontiers of marine resource development from bio-prospecting to mining of seabed mineral resources (poly-metallic nodules).

Tackling Regional Issues

• There is a need to strengthen efforts to provide humanitarian assistance in wake of natural disasters and counter non-state actors engaged in piracy and terrorism.
• Further, India seeks an integrated approach and cooperative future, which will result in sustainable development for all in the region.

Checking Chinese Influence

• China through its maritime silk route (part of the BRI initiative) has been increasing its influence in the Indian Ocean region (IOR).
• Moreover, Chinese investments in India's neighbouring countries are of dual nature i.e commercial with military underpinnings. The string of pearls has caused strategic concerns for India.
• In this context, SAGAR vision assumes much importance in countering such issues.

Significance of SAGAR Vision

• SAGAR provides a mechanism for India to expand strategic partnerships with other IOR littorals in Asia and Africa.
• SAGAR indicates the leadership role and responsibilities India is ready to play in the region on a long-term basis in a transparent manner through its capacity-building and capability enhancement programs.
• The key relevance of SAGAR emerges when seen in conjunction with India’s other policies impacting the maritime domain like Act East Policy, Project Sagarmala, Project Mausam, India as ‘net security provider’, focus on Blue Economy etc. This symbolises India’s maritime resurgence, as maritime issues are now the centre of India’s foreign policy.
• With the effective implementation of all these policies, India can act as an enabler to create a positive environment in the IOR.

Associated Challenges

• The ‘Global Commons’ approach (everyone’s property is no one's responsibility) to using marine resources, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction, with no oversight on issues of governance, access and benefit sharing. It poses a risk for overexploitation of marine resources.
• SAGAR Vision has created engagement of multiple players, the duplication of actions, and regional dependence on international navies.

Way Forward

Formulating a Governance Framework

• A regional legally-binding instrument concerning marine genetic resource governance including issues of access to genetic resources and benefit sharing (ABS), is to be concluded within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS). Further, there is a need to identify options and areas for designating as special ecologically and biologically sensitive areas to ensure such areas receive additional protection and sustainable management provisions.

Focusing on Regional Organisation

• India must focus on the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). IORA's mandate is to promote sustainable growth and balanced development in the region. IORA needs to consider a special regional cooperation programme on Blue Economy.
• Recently, India has been granted observer status in Indian Ocean Commission (IOC). India can learn from IOC Bottom-up regionalism.

Conclusion

India’s consultative, democratic and equitable leadership can help achieve Security and sustainable growth for all in the region. Apart from it, India must also lead in ensuring Sustainability and Growth for All in the Region.