Indian Ocean
Return to articleLakshadweep and Agalega: Implications of India’s Naval Dominance
In February 2024, India bagged two achievements in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR): the commissioning of INS Jatayu, an Indian Naval base on Lakshadweep Island, and the inauguration of security establishments on Agalega Island, Mauritius. These two developments come amidst…
SAV Collection: Emerging Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific
Since 2017, the Quad has dominated strategic discourse on emerging partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. However, as middle powers in the Indo-Pacific seek to balance their relationships with the United States and China, they have increasingly looked toward alternative forums for…
Assessing India’s SAGAR Plan: Challenges Override Prospects
In recent years, India has moved away from its history of sea-blindness, and has been revitalizing its economic and strategic interests in the neighboring maritime domain for regional peace, prosperity, and progress. This commitment to “collective concerns for the global…
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief: New Frontier for India-China Contestation?
Earlier this year, India launched ‘Operation Karuna’ to assist cyclone-hit Myanmar, where Indian naval ships carried emergency relief materials to Yangon. This humanitarian effort came close on the heels of India becoming one of the first countries to assist the…
Rethinking India-China Dynamics amidst Political Transitions in the Maldives
The recent political transitions in the Maldives are poised to exert significant influence on the geopolitical dynamics between India and China in the Indian Ocean. The victory of Mohamed Muizzu, a pro-China candidate, in the recent presidential election, defeating the…
In the Liberal International Order, India Balances Sovereignty and Strategy
During a June 29, 2023, bilateral meeting with his Philippine counterpart, India’s External Affairs Minister Jaishankar called upon states to abide by the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Philippines vs. China. In this case,…