Delhi Must Engage Paris in its Indian Ocean Strategy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last-minute decision to add France to his Europe tour in early June is an indication of Delhi’s interest in engaging European powers in the Indian Ocean.
Category: India
India Needs More Than Cautious Statements on the South China Sea
China’s actions since the South China Sea arbitration ruling show that India needs to take a stronger line if it wants to achieve its objectives. Given the importance of the principles at stake, it would be in India’s best interests to take a more forward-looking and forward-leaning approach to the South China Sea dispute.
Japan: India’s Unique Maritime Partner
The annual summit between Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, held on November 11 in Tokyo, once again underscored the importance of maritime security in the bilateral relationship. Describing the relationship as “unique” and “special,” the two leaders talked of a greater convergence in their visions for Asia. While there have been developments in almost all areas of the relationship, maritime security under Modi and Abe has become one of the most visible areas of cooperation in the strategic partnership. By addressing strategic concerns beyond the realm of security cooperation, the leaders have found a unique and constructive way to collaborate in the Indian Ocean and beyond.
India’s “Undersea Wall” in the Eastern Indian Ocean
Surveillance technology could be leveraged to protect India’s exclusive economic zone
Colombo Port City and the Limits of India’s Regional Diplomacy
The restart of construction raises alarm in India that the project will give China increased influence in the Indian Ocean.
China Creates a Second Chance for the ‘Quad’
Will Australia, India, Japan and the United States move from exercising together to operating together? In the end, it will probably be China’s actions that determine where the Quad will go next.
Will India Truly Start “Acting East” in Andaman and Nicobar?
This September, while Indian prime minister Narendra Modi met with tech titans in Silicon Valley, his administration quietly unveiled a $1.5 billion development package for the isolated Andaman and Nicobar island chains, meant to turn the islands’ capital city, Port Blair, into a hub of the ship repair industry by developing port infrastructure. Less than […]
An Interview with Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar
AMTI Director Greg B. Poling interviews Vice Admiral (ret.) Vijay Shankar of the Indian Navy.
Views from India’s Smaller Maritime Neighbors
India’s smaller maritime neighbors are paying close attention as New Delhi consolidates the country’s ambitions in the Indian Ocean. While bolstering its own naval and maritime capabilities, India has actively taken steps to cement partnerships with most of these smaller neighbors in recent years and continues to do so under the Narendra Modi administration. On […]
India’s Maritime Acts in the East
Since the middle of May, four vessels of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, including some of its most advanced indigenous ships, have plied the waters of Southeast Asia and Australia, conducting exercises with partners and making port calls in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia. Some, not least the Indian government, have held up […]
Modi and the Indian Ocean: Restoring India’s Sphere of Influence
On a March 2015 trip to Seychelles and Mauritius, Narendra Modi outlined a bold framework that overturned the political approach that India had taken towards the Indian Ocean for half a century. Beginning in the late 1960s, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked all major powers to withdraw from the Indian Ocean out of concern for […]
A New Vision for U.S.-India Cooperation in Asia
President Barack Obama’s visit to India on January 25-27, 2015 renewed India’s place as a centerpiece of the “pivot to Asia.” Moving ahead with long-pending strategic deals on civilian nuclear trade and defense co-development, along with the renewal of our expiring New Framework for the U.S. India Defense Relationship, underscores the new cooperative spirit with […]
A Maritime Break from Non-Alignment for India
Following the election of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government in May 2014, we have seen a sharper and more vigorous focus on foreign policy in India. Modi has embraced a more strategic outlook than his predecessors, which signals a break from India’s traditional policy of “non-alignment”. The focus of the Modi government’s foreign […]