Reconverting the ‘IOR pond’ into India’s traditional sphere of influence
3 days, 15 hours ago

Reconverting the ‘IOR pond’ into India’s traditional sphere of influence

Firstpost  

India has to ensure that not only an adversarial China but also a friendly US limit its geopolitical outreach and military presence in the Indian Ocean Region India will have to ensure that the presence and/or dominance of friendly powers does not interfere with its own revived national pride in projecting the shared IOR as New Delhi’s ‘traditional sphere of influence’. The recent Delhi visits by Sri Lanka’s new president, Anura Kumara Dissanyake, preceded by his Maldivian counterpart, Mohamed Muizzu, may have opened up possibilities that, when logically followed up by the parties concerned, can reconvert the shared Indian Ocean Region into India’s ‘traditional sphere of influence’. Maritime security In New Delhi recently, Maldives’ Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon reiterated the known Maldivian position that ‘India is the first responder’ for Maldives. Yet, India too will have to ensure that the presence and/or dominance of friendly powers in these parts does not interfere with its own revived national pride in projecting the shared IOR as New Delhi’s ‘traditional sphere of influence’.

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History of this topic

How maritime trade has become a tool of diplomacy and deterrence
1 month, 1 week ago

How maritime trade has become a tool of diplomacy and deterrence

Firstpost  

As the geopolitical landscape shifts, particularly in contested waters such as the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, the role of navies as guardians of trade and deterrents of conflict is being redefined The Indian Ocean is a pivotal geopolitical nexus, serving as a bridge between the East and the West and a vital conduit for global trade and …

What will India's Samudrayaan look for in the ocean? Mission chief reveals
2 months ago

What will India's Samudrayaan look for in the ocean? Mission chief reveals

India Today  

India is preparing to join an elite group of nations capable of deep-sea exploration with its ambitious Samudrayaan mission. "One of the key targets for exploration will be polymetallic nodules, mineral concretions rich in manganese, iron, and other valuable metals found on the ocean floor," Dr. S Ramesh, Scientist-in-Charge of India's deep-sea mission told IndiaToday.in in an exclusive conversation. Dr. …

Colombo Security Conclave: Amid growing Chinese challenge, India renews its commitment to regional security
4 months, 1 week ago

Colombo Security Conclave: Amid growing Chinese challenge, India renews its commitment to regional security

Firstpost  

In view of the rising challenges in the Indian Ocean region, it is only obvious that cooperation with other friendly countries as part of initiatives like the Colombo Security Conclave should increase Rising powers often seek a wider canvas to project their influence and the same is proving to be true for India as well. Here the neighbourhood doesn’t only …

South Korea’s evolving Indian Ocean Region policy
5 months, 2 weeks ago

South Korea’s evolving Indian Ocean Region policy

Hindustan Times  

South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy, released in December 2022, highlights the country’s willingness to engage with the Indo-Pacific concept, shedding the ambiguity of the earlier stance under president Yoon Suk Yeol’s predecessor. This policy step-up recognises emerging geopolitical trends that require South Korea to engage with new territories previously overlooked in its strategic radar, such as the Indian Ocean Region. President …

South Korea’s evolving Indian Ocean Region policy
5 months, 2 weeks ago

South Korea’s evolving Indian Ocean Region policy

Hindustan Times  

South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy, released in December 2022, highlights the country’s willingness to engage with the Indo-Pacific concept, shedding the ambiguity of the earlier stance under president Yoon Suk Yeol’s predecessor. This policy step-up recognises emerging geopolitical trends that require South Korea to engage with new territories previously overlooked in its strategic radar, such as the Indian Ocean Region. The …

India’s Maritime Power Projection in the Southwest Indian Ocean Gets a Boost
8 months, 3 weeks ago

India’s Maritime Power Projection in the Southwest Indian Ocean Gets a Boost

The Diplomat  

On February 29, in a virtual ceremony, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, jointly inaugurated an airstrip, a jetty, and six community development initiatives on Mauritius’ Agaléga island. It was during Modi’s visit to Mauritius in 2015 that the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which provided for “setting up and upgradation of …

All eyes are now on the Indian Ocean region
9 months, 4 weeks ago

All eyes are now on the Indian Ocean region

The Hindu  

While the Indian government’s focus from January 2021 was fixed on the Indo-Pacific with a sustained endeavour to strengthen the Quad, policy attention has shifted back to the Indian Ocean since October 2023. While they are concerned about Beijing’s illegal claims in the South China Sea, they must see that a similar kind of assertiveness and hostile intent is building …

Dominating the Indian Ocean: India Transforming Lakshadweep into Strategic Military Stronghold
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Dominating the Indian Ocean: India Transforming Lakshadweep into Strategic Military Stronghold

News 18  

For an excruciatingly long period, the only attention Lakshadweep got was from school kids – learning about India’s pristine islands for the first time. This airstrip’s development also aims to boost tourism around Lakshadweep and enhance India’s surveillance capabilities in and around the Arabian Sea and the wider Indo-Pacific region. Indians know fairly well that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands …

India and Maldives will sort out issues bilaterally, Wickremesinghe says, and hopes it will be soon
11 months ago

India and Maldives will sort out issues bilaterally, Wickremesinghe says, and hopes it will be soon

The Hindu  

India and Maldives would resolve the issues between them “bilaterally” said Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, emphasising that while Maldives has allowed a Chinese ‘research’ vessel into the Male harbour, no Chinese troops had been allowed in. Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference, Mr. Wickremesinghe also confirmed Sri Lanka’s decision to join the 15-nation …

Challenge in the Indian Ocean
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Challenge in the Indian Ocean

Hindustan Times  

The Indian Ocean region has become restive, with the war in West Asia finding an echo in the waters surrounding India, including a surge in attacks on merchant ships and attempted hijacking of vessels. While India has been involved in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia since 2008, the current situation has required the deployment of 10 frontline warships …

Will be extremely detrimental: Maldives opposition parties warn President Muizzu over his 'anti-India' stance
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Will be extremely detrimental: Maldives opposition parties warn President Muizzu over his 'anti-India' stance

Firstpost  

The “anti-India” stance of the Maldives government-led by President Mohamed Muizzu will be extremely detrimental to the long-term development of the country, the two main opposition parties of the Island nation warned, merely two days after the administration allowed a Chinese spy ship to dock in a port in Male. Alienating India will be extremely detrimental for Maldives The two …

Choppy waters: On India-Maldives ties
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Choppy waters: On India-Maldives ties

The Hindu  

Within weeks of the India-Maldives showdown over derogatory remarks by Maldivian Ministers and the call for Indian tourists to boycott the archipelago, as well as the tussle over Indian troops stationed in Maldives, Delhi and Male are dealing with another controversy. After objecting to visits by Chinese “research” vessels to Sri Lanka, New Delhi managed to ensure that Colombo banned, …

An ‘India out’ plan that could impact the Maldives
1 year ago

An ‘India out’ plan that could impact the Maldives

The Hindu  

The recent decision by the Maldives to revoke an agreement with India for joint hydrographic surveys in Maldivian waters has caused considerable dismal in Indian media and strategic circles. Getting Indian hydrographic ships out of Maldivian waters appears intended to aid China’s marine surveys of the surrounding seas. However, China’s oceanographic surveys in the waters of friendly South Asian states …

What’s the latest blip in India-Maldives ties? | Explained
1 year ago

What’s the latest blip in India-Maldives ties? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: Earlier this month, the Maldives Cabinet decided against renewing a Memorandum of Understanding with India for cooperation in hydrography. Coming soon after newly elected President Mohamed Muizzu’s pledge to send back Indian troops currently stationed in the Indian Ocean archipelago, the move was yet another indication of his government’s intention to reverse the former Ibrahim Mohamed …

The challenge of maritime security in the Global South
1 year, 1 month ago

The challenge of maritime security in the Global South

The Hindu  

Charles Darwin is reputed to have argued that the key to human survival is not humankind’s innate superiority but its natural adaptability. It is instructive, however, that the bulk of the demand for maritime security in recent years has come from states facing unconventional security threats, such as illegal fishing, natural disasters, marine pollution, human and drug trafficking, and the …

Why Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s Hyperbolic ‘Anti-India’ Campaign Needs a Reality Check
1 year, 1 month ago

Why Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s Hyperbolic ‘Anti-India’ Campaign Needs a Reality Check

News 18  

In Malé, a new leadership has taken the reins of the scenic and strategically crucial Maldivian archipelago whose vast jurisdiction of Indian Ocean waters has put it at the centre of a great power play between India and China. Union Minister for Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju represented India in place of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was invited to the …

How is the Indian Ocean Rim Association a key bloc for India?
1 year, 3 months ago

How is the Indian Ocean Rim Association a key bloc for India?

The Hindu  

The story so far: ‘Reinforcing Indian Ocean Identity’ was the banner theme at the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Council of Ministers held in Colombo on October 11, that was attended by foreign ministers and senior officials of the 23-nation grouping of countries. The Indian Ocean Rim Association includes 23 countries from Africa, West Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Australia …

At Indian Ocean conference in Colombo, Jaishankar raises dangers of unviable debt, projects
1 year, 3 months ago

At Indian Ocean conference in Colombo, Jaishankar raises dangers of unviable debt, projects

The Hindu  

India wants to be a “friend to the world”, the voice of the global south, and will work to ensure a free, open and inclusive Indian Ocean region, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at the annual meeting of the 23-member Indian Ocean Rim Association being held in Colombo, where he also raised the “dangers” of unsustainable debt. After …

India-China power play gets new life in Maldives
1 year, 3 months ago

India-China power play gets new life in Maldives

Hindustan Times  

Presidential elections in the Maldives have been rather traditional — each election offering a new chance to a new president. His “India First” policy increased the country’s development and defence partnership with New Delhi, and Chinese projects harmful to Indian interests were averted. Through rallies, disinformation, and protests, the campaign has politicised India’s defence and development assistance, mustered nationalist sentiments, …

How the Maldives elections will shape Indian Ocean geopolitics
1 year, 3 months ago

How the Maldives elections will shape Indian Ocean geopolitics

Hindustan Times  

As the India-China rivalry is played out across the Indian Ocean region, domestic politics is becoming a key focal point of geopolitics. In the last decade, as China’s naval presence has grown across the Indian Ocean, the region has become a centerpiece of strategic rivalry between India and China. The question of China’s growing military and economic presence and its …

Vantage: How India can undo the setback in Maldives
1 year, 3 months ago

Vantage: How India can undo the setback in Maldives

Firstpost  

The party of Maldives’ new President came up with the ‘India out’ campaign and seeks to end Indian influence in the Maldives The Maldives has elected a new president - Mohamed Muizzu. The same party came up with the ‘India out’ campaign and seeks to end Indian influence in the Maldives. This is a big worry for New Delhi because …

India’s aircraft carriers key to Indo-Pacific strategy
1 year, 11 months ago

India’s aircraft carriers key to Indo-Pacific strategy

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — India is preparing to relaunch its INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier after a major refit, a critical step toward fulfilling its plan to deploy two carrier battle groups as it seeks to strengthen its regional maritime power to counter China’s increasing assertiveness. “This is significant in terms of India’s power projection capabilities, primarily within the Indian Ocean,” said …

How China is pushing into Indian Ocean Region through its 'Global Security Initiative'
2 years ago

How China is pushing into Indian Ocean Region through its 'Global Security Initiative'

Firstpost  

GSI includes the implementation of four major initiatives: the Belt and Road Initiative, the Health Silk Road, the Digital Silk Road, and the Global Development Initiative. These initiatives demonstrate China’s efforts to increase its presence and influence in the IOR and around the world The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy recently held an online forum for the heads of international …

Accepting the new normal in the Indo-Pacific contestation
2 years ago

Accepting the new normal in the Indo-Pacific contestation

The Hindu  

As 2022 comes to an end, the world is embracing a ‘new normal’ where new fault lines are being reconfigured in the Indo-Pacific. As tensions between an aggressive China and an emerging India intensify, New Delhi’s Quad partners are also making inroads in its backyard, ushering significant changes in the region. China’s widening outreach The contestation for South Asia and …

Explained | China’s moves in the Indian Ocean
2 years, 1 month ago

Explained | China’s moves in the Indian Ocean

The Hindu  

December 04, 2022 10:57 pm | Updated December 05, 2022 09:21 am IST The story so far: On November 21, China’s top development aid agency convened the first “China-Indian Ocean Region Forum” in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming. The CIDCA, which is China’s new development aid agency, currently headed by former Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui, said in a …

China holds first Indian Ocean Region meet with 19 countries without India
2 years, 1 month ago

China holds first Indian Ocean Region meet with 19 countries without India

India Today  

China held a meeting this week with 19 countries from the Indian Ocean region in which India was conspicuously absent. The China International Development Cooperation Agency, an organisation connected with the Chinese Foreign Ministry held a meeting of the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation on November 21, in which 19 countries took part, according to a press release …

A risky new status quo
2 years, 3 months ago

A risky new status quo

The Hindu  

India and China appear to be mending fences, gingerly. The buffer zones and Depsang’s status both suit China’s objectives because they limit India’s military activities near the LAC, which analysts judge had partly motivated China’s initial incursions in 2020. China still claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own, and just as it has pressed its maritime claims once its growing capabilities …

Sri Lanka will not be part of any Indian Ocean turf war: President Wickremesinghe
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka will not be part of any Indian Ocean turf war: President Wickremesinghe

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka will not take part in any "big power rivalry" in the Indian Ocean and it is unfortunate that his country has been made the "punching bag" for Hambantota, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, weeks after India and China clashed over the docking of a high-tech Chinese ship at the country's southern port. Sri Lanka certainly does not want …

Manish Tewari | Can India become an Indian Ocean power?
2 years, 4 months ago

Manish Tewari | Can India become an Indian Ocean power?

Deccan Chronicle  

With the induction of INS Vikrant as its first indigenously built aircraft carrier, India seems all set to further augment its naval prowess. While, undoubtedly, Vikrant would be a considerable force multiplier insofar as our maritime power projection capabilities are concerned, with the Chinese aggressively pushing for expansive influence globally through both the Belt and Road initiative and a blue …

When discussing our maritime interest, India should also think about Pacific Ocean: EAM Jaishankar
2 years, 4 months ago

When discussing our maritime interest, India should also think about Pacific Ocean: EAM Jaishankar

The Hindu  

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on September 4 said talking about the Indian Ocean and not the Pacific Ocean when discussing India's maritime interest shows a limitation of thinking, and India should go beyond this historical line of thinking. This is the limitation of our thinking that we talk about the Indian Ocean whenever we talk about maritime interest," Mr. …

Maldives: Will ‘India Out’ Overwhelm ‘India First’ Close to Elections?
2 years, 9 months ago

Maldives: Will ‘India Out’ Overwhelm ‘India First’ Close to Elections?

News 18  

In electoral politics, although there is often a major difference between rhetoric while in opposition and action when in government, Abdulla Yameen’s pro-China track record suggests that there is more to his ‘India Out’ campaign than harmless propaganda. It is also pertinent, therefore, for New Delhi to carefully assess whether the ongoing ‘India Out’ campaign by sections of the Maldivian …

How global warming brings Indian Ocean Region together
3 years, 1 month ago

How global warming brings Indian Ocean Region together

Firstpost  

The Indian Ocean Region is one of the world’s most important arenas of geopolitical contest, but now global warming is forcing critical compromise Strategic contestation has always been the history and destiny of the countries of the Indian Ocean Region. But the Indian Ocean Region does more than worry about nuclear-tipped submarines and naval bases in its midst these days. …

India bridge between nations in Indian Ocean region, says ambassador Taranjit Sandhu
3 years, 4 months ago

India bridge between nations in Indian Ocean region, says ambassador Taranjit Sandhu

Firstpost  

The country sees itself as the net provider of security in the region who has also been the first to respond in times of need Washington: India sees itself as a net provider of security in the strategic Indian Ocean region where it helps build economic capabilities and improve maritime security for its friends and partners, India’s top diplomat in …

Darshana M. Baruah
3 years, 6 months ago

Darshana M. Baruah

The Diplomat  

The in-vogue term “Indo-Pacific” positions the Indian Ocean region as part of singular geographic – and geopolitical – region along with the Pacific Ocean. What role are the Indian Ocean island states, like the Maldives and Sri Lanka, playing in the strategic jostling for space among China, India, and the United States? Islands like Sri Lanka and the Maldives are …

Covid crisis, India and the Indian Ocean balance of power
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid crisis, India and the Indian Ocean balance of power

Times of India  

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, India has turned the crisis into an opportunity in the Indian Ocean region thanks to its humanitarian assistance programme and increased engagement with other powers in the region. Concurrently, India’s humanitarian assistance programme and pragmatism towards littoral states and some other recent developments such as the first Quad leaders’ virtual Summit, Quad Malabar naval exercise in …

Putting the SAGAR vision to the test
4 years, 8 months ago

Putting the SAGAR vision to the test

The Hindu  

In March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited three small but significant Indian Ocean island states — Seychelles, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka. Since maritime security is a prominent feature of India’s relations with Indian Ocean littoral states, India’s interest in the IOC should be understood in this context. The IOC has its own regional agenda, and has made impressive headway …

Narendra Modi's visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka indicator to China that India is ready for strategic competition
5 years, 7 months ago

Narendra Modi's visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka indicator to China that India is ready for strategic competition

Firstpost  

To put it simply, India needs to project power in its traditional areas of influence and restore a sense of balance in the greater Indian Ocean Region for smooth facilitation of trade, commerce, stability and national security. As a result, countries are becoming ensnared in a debt trap that leaves them vulnerable to China’s influence.” These projects — designed to …

All out at sea: on India’s engagements in the Indian Ocean
5 years, 8 months ago

All out at sea: on India’s engagements in the Indian Ocean

The Hindu  

India is setting a high tempo of naval operations in Asia. In recent weeks, a series of bilateral exercises with regional navies in the Indian Ocean have demonstrated the Indian Navy’s resolve to preserve operational leverage in India’s near seas. As some see it, Djibouti portends a future where China would control key nodes skirting important shipping lanes in the …

India gets a reprieve in Sri Lanka & Maldives
6 years ago

India gets a reprieve in Sri Lanka & Maldives

Deccan Chronicle  

It is time once again for smiles and handshakes. The new Maldivian President, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who won a somewhat unanticipated election victory this October, was in New Delhi this week, calling India the “closest friend” of his country. President Solih’s New Delhi visit and pronouncements marks a radical shift in the decidedly pro-Beijing policy adopted by his predecessor, the …

India should build ties and rescue Maldives from China’s debt trap, challenge Beijing's might in the Indian Ocean
6 years, 2 months ago

India should build ties and rescue Maldives from China’s debt trap, challenge Beijing's might in the Indian Ocean

Firstpost  

Beijing would again try to re-establish its clout in Maldives through the debt-trap diplomacy. Disturbing political developments remained a cause of concern for India as unfriendly gestures of former president Yameen frustrated the Modi government’s neighbourhood outreach. Given its security impact in India’s strategic backyard, China’s foray into the Maldives aroused serious concerns in New Delhi. The expression of ‘dismay’ …

Sushma Swaraj stresses need for peace and stability in Indian Ocean
6 years, 4 months ago

Sushma Swaraj stresses need for peace and stability in Indian Ocean

India TV News  

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday emphasised on the economic importance of the Indian Ocean and said nurturing a climate of peace and stability in this region is an important priority for India's foreign policy. This region is host to the world’s busiest waterways and three-quarters of that traffic is headed for destinations beyond our region," Swaraj said while …

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