Indian Ocean Region: Geopolitics and Security

TOPIC CLASSIFICATION

Subject: International Relations — Geopolitics — Maritime Security
Sub-topic: Indian Ocean Region (IOR) — Geostrategic Importance (Sea Lanes of Communication — SLOCs, Energy Routes, Chokepoints), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA — 1997), Major Players (India, China — String of Pearls, US — Diego Garcia, UK — BIOT, France — Réunion), Chokepoints (Strait of Malacca, Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Six Degree Channel, Sunda Strait, Lombok Strait), China's Presence in IOR (PLA Navy — Blue Water Navy, Djibouti Base, Gwadar Port, Hambantota, Sittwe, Ream Base — Cambodia), India's Maritime Strategy (SAGAR — Security and Growth for All in the Region, Indian Navy's Role, INDIAN OCEAN as 'Area of Peace', Andaman & Nicobar Command, INS Viraat — decommissioned), Maritime Security Threats (Piracy — Somalia, Sea lanes security, Drug trafficking, Illegal Fishing, Climate Change — Rising Sea Levels, Cyclones), Quad and Indo-Pacific (Maritime Domain Awareness — IPMDA), Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), Blue Economy, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius — India's Maritime Neighbourhood
Mains GS Paper-II: International Relations — Indian Ocean Region — geopolitics, security challenges, and India's strategic response.

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EXAMINER REASONING

The Indian Ocean is central to India's security and prosperity — 90% of India's trade by volume and 80% of oil imports transit these waters. Prelims tests: IORA (HQ — Mauritius, 23 members), SAGAR, chokepoints (Malacca, Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Six Degree Channel, Sunda, Lombok), China's String of Pearls (Gwadar, Hambantota, Djibouti, Sittwe, Ream, Chittagong), IPMDA (Quad initiative), Diego Garcia (UK-US base), Andaman & Nicobar Command (India's first tri-service command), Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.4M sq km. Mains demands: (a) strategic importance — IOR carries 80% of global oil trade — India's SLOCs pass through these waters — energy security, trade security, and naval security converge here, (b) China's IOR strategy — 'String of Pearls' — ports and infrastructure around IOR — PLA Navy's blue-water ambitions — Chinese naval presence in Indian Ocean increasing (anti-piracy patrols — 14 consecutive years) — naval diplomacy, (c) India's response — SAGAR vision (2015) — Act East and Neighbourhood First through maritime lens — Indian Navy as net security provider in IOR — HADR operations (cyclones, Tsunami 2004, MH370 search) — building naval infrastructure (INS Kadamba at Karwar — Phase II — nuclear submarine base), (d) maritime domain awareness — India set up Information Fusion Centre (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram (2018) — shares shipping data with 20+ partner countries — IPMDA (Quad) provides satellite-based maritime surveillance to Southeast Asia/Pacific/Indian Ocean, (e) small island states — India's maritime neighbours (Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles) — China's growing influence through BRI, infrastructure projects, debt-trap diplomacy — India's counter through development assistance, defence cooperation, vaccination diplomacy, (f) — any disruption at Hormuz (Iran) or Malacca (Malaysia-Singapore) would cripple Indian economy — need for alternative routes, strategic reserves. The examiner's favourite framing is: ""