India's Foreign Policy (Maritime Dimension)

India's Foreign Policy (Maritime Dimension) defines how India interacts with other nations concerning oceans and seas. It's about protecting India's maritime interests, promoting stability in the region, and ensuring safe sea lanes. This policy is vital for India's economic growth, security, and influence, especially in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

• •Protecting maritime interests: Safeguarding trade routes and resources.
• •Promoting regional stability: Working with other countries to maintain peace and order at sea.
• •Ensuring safe sea lanes: Preventing piracy and terrorism to keep sea routes open for trade.

The key provisions focus on India's role as a net security provider, the SAGAR doctrine, joint naval exercises, freedom of navigation, and maritime security cooperation.

• •India aims to be a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• •The SAGAR doctrine focuses on cooperative security, sustainable development, and disaster management in the IOR.
• •India actively participates in joint naval exercises with friendly nations.
• •India supports freedom of navigation and opposes attempts to militarize the South China Sea.
• •Maritime security cooperation includes sharing information and conducting joint patrols.

Historically, India had strong maritime connections that were disrupted during the colonial era. After independence in 1947, India began rebuilding its maritime capabilities. The economic liberalization in the 1990s increased the importance of sea lanes for trade, leading to a greater focus on maritime security and cooperation. The 'Indian Ocean Rim Association' (IORA) was initiated by India.

The legal framework includes the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), India's Maritime Zones Act, and various bilateral and multilateral agreements on maritime security cooperation.

• •UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): Defines the rights and responsibilities of nations regarding the use of the world's oceans.
• •India's Maritime Zones Act: Establishes India's territorial waters, exclusive economic zone, and other maritime zones.
• •Bilateral and multilateral agreements: Agreements with other countries for cooperation on maritime security issues.

Being a 'net security provider' means India takes responsibility for the safety and security of maritime routes in the IOR. This involves:

• •Conducting regular patrols and surveillance to deter piracy and terrorism.
• •Providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief during natural disasters.
• •Building the capacity of other countries in the region through training and equipment.
• •Sharing information and intelligence to enhance maritime domain awareness.

Challenges include limited resources, competition from other major powers, and non-traditional security threats.

• •Limited resources: India's naval capabilities may not be sufficient to address all the challenges in the IOR.
• •Competition from other major powers: China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean poses a challenge to India's dominance.
• •Non-traditional security threats: Piracy, terrorism, illegal fishing, and climate change all pose significant challenges.