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

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 and littoral states situated in and around the Indian Ocean. Narasimha Rao as the guest for Republic Day, and said at a ceremony that India and South Africa should explore “the concept of an Indian Ocean Rim of socioeconomic cooperation and other peaceful endeavours” that could help developing countries within multilateral institutions “such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement”. Speaking at the conference this year, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stressed the importance of maintaining the Indian Ocean as a “free, open and inclusive space” where there was “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity” based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, and in comments understood to be aimed at China, warned of the dangers of “hidden agendas, unviable projects or unsustainable debt” to countries in the Indian Ocean Region.