The term ‘Indo-Pacific’ is a geographic region consisting of the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean. It has gained currency as a new construct in recent times. Trade dependence and the changing nature of the maritime threat have raised awareness of the importance of ensuring secure seas for the unhindered movement of trade and energy.
India’s idea of the Indo-Pacific is geographical as well as geopolitical. India sees this region as stretching from the Indian Ocean, all the way to the Pacific Ocean, thereby encompassing both the Pacific and Indian Oceans within it.
Indo-Pacific is an inclusive concept and it is not directed against any country, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. In a first, India has laid out a broad canvas of the Indo-Pacific region comprising the Indian Ocean and the broader Asia-Pacific region to be based on five principles of ‘openness, inclusiveness, ASEAN centrality, and equity and mutual benefit for all countries’.
India’s concept of Indo-Pacific is in alignment with India and the US vision for the Indo-Pacific region – a free, open, inclusive region where sovereignty and international law are respected, connectivity is afforded and economic growth is optimized.
Both India and the United States view each other as net security providers in the Indo-Pacific region. Although they are far apart in many aspects, especially socio-political, but they are close in several dimensions that mark off a strong security partnership. It also reflects a free, open and inclusive region that fosters universal respect for international law, freedom of navigation and overflight and sustainable development.
Overall security, infrastructure development, better connectivity, and enhanced economic activity are the big four pillars of India’s vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. And China is a critical component of this framework.
The Indo-Pacific region is strategically significant for India, and vital for its security. It forms an important part of India’s strategic periphery. India has nuclear weaponization and a clear policy of no-first-use, and therefore maintains an element of “strategic ambiguity” regarding its nuclear defense doctrine. At the same time, it has developed into a maritime economy with overseas interests to safeguard. In this context, the maritime dimension assumes a crucial importance for India. With the oceans taking over from the land as the main arena of geopolitical competition, control and domination of Asia’s oceans will be instrumental in securing regional hegemony in Asia’s geopolitical future.
In an era of globalization, the seas have turned into another highway, open to trade, investment and services. But for ferrying goods and services safely across borders, it is necessary to ensure freedom of navigation. Consequently, the agencies responsible for seaport management have been facing new challenges like piracy, detection of WMDs as well as maintaining law and order.
India is also one of the major drivers of growth in the Indo-Pacific region, as the country is poised to be a global manufacturing hub for several industries such as IT services, finance, automotive, and more.
India is planning to put greater energy to the IORA because the heart of its Indo-Pacific policy is rooted in the Indian Ocean. This integrates the blue economy part of the Indian policy with the security part.
China’s increasingly active presence in the Indian Ocean region as well as its efforts to expand geopolitical reach in Asia and beyond by the use of trade and military Demand rule based order to secure India’s interests and free trade. In the present time, the control of sea lanes and ports would be the game.
The Indo-Pacific region is crucial for India’s economic and security interests. As a major power in the region, there is increasing attention from India to the Indo-Pacific as an entity, both from national strategic and political perspectives.
