Throughout history, the maritime domain has been a crucial space in establishing
new and emerging powers shaping regional dynamics and the larger security
architecture. The great power competition today is no different. The emergence of the
Indo-Pacific as a new geographic space—bringing together the Indian and the Pacific
Oceans—represents the new strategic reality of the twenty-first century. The Indo-
Pacific, therefore, is a new domain in India’s foreign policy engagements, representing
a shift in New Delhi’s strategic and security environment, expanding its threats solely
from its continental borders to its maritime space.
India’s active involvement in the Indo-Pacific region reflects its recognition
of its increasing significance in global affairs. The region has witnessed significant
geopolitical shifts over the years, characterised by changes in power structures,
economic interdependence, and emerging security challenges. In response to this
dynamic environment, India has recalibrated its approach to regional security. As
New Delhi’s regional influence grows, its approach towards bilateral and multilateral
security mechanisms is a crucial barometer of its strategic priorities. India has
established its evolving role in shaping the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific
through its diplomatic manoeuvring and multilateral engagements.
This article argues that as a rising power with its own ambitions to carve out
a strategic space, India’s foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific seeks to retain a free, open
and inclusive regional order. This article delves into India’s security position with the
escalation of Chinese involvement, along with threats emerging from Pakistan and
a destabilised Bangladesh, and examines to what degree bilateral and multilateral
arrangements have helped India solve its security concerns in this region. In the short
and medium terms, this means forming soft-balancing coalitions and limited hardbalancing
relationships. The article will identify India’s Indo-Pacific approach and
its direct impact on New Delhi’s security environment. This paper analysis India’s
role in a stable Indo-Pacific by addressing maritime security concerns. It has three
objectives: to understand how the region fits into India’s foreign policy, to identify
the traditional and non-traditional security concerns prevailing in the region, and
to analyse how India deals with these concerns. The author argues that India’s quest
to leverage its geostrategic location to emerge as an Indo-Pacific actor faces multiple
challenges, which create a clear divide between the country’s political rhetoric and
action on the ground. The author critically examines these contradictions to better
situate India’s security role in an increasingly fluid Indo-Pacific region. The article
uses the conceptual framework of Role Theory to map the changes in India’s security
role. Along with that, this article seeks to answer the question of what role India could
play in the region to incentivise the regional security dynamics.
Key words: India, Maritime Security Concerns, Indo-Pacific