In Indo-Pacific, a steady projection of power, Pg 15

Key Highlights:

• The article argues that India has significantly expanded its strategic engagement in the Indo-Pacific under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, positioning itself as a major regional power.
• India has actively participated in regional forums such as the ASEAN-India Summit, East Asia Summit and Quad Leaders' Summit, while deepening ties with Japan, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore.
• India has adopted the concept of a Free, Open and Inclusive Indo-Pacific, while emphasising ASEAN Centrality to ensure a balanced regional architecture.
• Recent initiatives, including the Great Nicobar Island Development Project and enhanced maritime partnerships, reflect India's growing focus on maritime security.
• The article suggests that India's approach combines strategic autonomy, defence cooperation and regional partnerships rather than bloc politics.

Indo-Pacific.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• The term Indo-Pacific has replaced the earlier "Asia-Pacific" construct, recognising the growing strategic linkage between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• Unlike some Western approaches, India's Indo-Pacific vision avoids explicitly targeting any country and instead promotes a rules-based maritime order.
• The Great Nicobar Island Development Project, located near the Strait of Malacca, aims to strengthen India's maritime logistics, connectivity and strategic presence in the eastern Indian Ocean.
• India has expanded defence cooperation through joint exercises, logistics agreements and technology partnerships with countries such as Japan, Australia, the United States and the Philippines.
• China's growing military and maritime presence in the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific has accelerated regional security cooperation among like-minded countries.
• India's continued emphasis on strategic autonomy enables it to strengthen partnerships while maintaining an independent foreign policy and avoiding formal military alliances.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Indo-Pacific: A strategic and geopolitical region linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, central to global trade and security.
• ASEAN Centrality: The principle that ASEAN should remain at the core of the Indo-Pacific's regional security and economic architecture.
• Quad: A strategic partnership comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia that promotes a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific.
• Strategic Autonomy: India's foreign policy approach of safeguarding national interests through independent decision-making without joining military blocs.