Indian Ocean: A European perspective

TIM SWEIJS and JEROEN DE JONGE of the Hague Center for Strategic Studies state that the Indian Ocean and its rim with instability in its north-west corner, failing governance structures and resource competition could well become a sample stage for systemic challenges to global security even as it emerged as a key transportation hub and trade destination on the back of strong growth in its littorals.

They analyze three key themes related to Indian Ocean's maritime future in their article in Marineblad magazine, "The Maritime Future of the Indian Ocean"

1. strategic importance of the sea lines of communication (SLOC) where energy security could drive confrontation between major players,

2. vulnerability of SLOCs to the threat of non-state actors such as pirates, terrorists, and international crime syndicates and 

3. the maritime balance of power including naval assets, strategic maritime infrastructure and co-operation

They recommend closer attention to the Indian Ocean at the highest strategic levels, regional governance frameworks that facilitated smoother integration while upholding the principles of an open world economy and for industry to reassess their policies regarding supply-chain risk management.

Indian Ocean dynamics: An Indian perspective

PROBAL GHOSH of the Observer Research Foundation states that the Indian Ocean region with its extensive trade, energy flows, piracy, terrorism and transnational crime has seen increasing struggle for maritime influence from players such as India, China, Australia, Indonesia and South Africa seeking primacy along with the US with new strategic questions being raised due to the number of naval forces acting independently in the region. The Chinese naval deployment in this field not only reinforced its strategic reach and sustenance capability, but also displayed its capacity to act swiftly and flexibly.
In a commentary for the East Asian Forum, "Indian Ocean dynamics: An Indian perspective", he states that while China was making increasing forays into South Asia as part of its string of pearls strategy, India was seeking to neutralise Beijing's influence by courting states in its periphery such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam, enhancing politico-military relations with the states of South East Asia, East Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean.

He concludes that India would continue to enhance its influence in the Indian Ocean region in strong partnership with Australia, South Africa and Indonesia in tacit partnership with the US.

Renewing Asia's Collective Destiny

SOURABH GUPTA argues that despite past missteps and future hurdles, India's and Indonesia's parallel histories, similar policy preferences and opportune international circumstances were drawing both countries closer to revitalize bilateral relations and potentially reconfigure Asian geopolitics. 

In his Asia-Pacific bulletin for the East-West Center, "India and Indonesia: Renewing Asia's Collective Destiny", he states that both countries could leverage opportunities to revitalize the bilateral relationship; New Delhi and Jakarta could start by championing each other's entry into the BRICS and MALSINDO collectives and this could help both countries set the tone on how leadership could be collaboratively exercised in the Indian Ocean region.

He concludes that a bilateral road map interspersed in equal parts with ambition and pragmatism, and cognizant of their differences in security perspective, held the potential to unlock the immense promise of this natural partnership.

Look East Policy analyzed

SANDY GORDON of the Center of Excellence in Policing and Security at the Australian National University analyzes the evolution of Indo-ASEAN relationship from its tentative beginnings under India's 'Look East' policy to that of its current strategic partnership in the Indian Ocean, stating that this would be one of many partnerships that India would develop with other powers. In a workshop paper presented for the Australia India Institute, "India ‘Looks East’ as history", he states that India would do well to put in place labour and infrastructure policies to leverage its demographic dividend and as India developed, a strategic triangle between China, US and India was a distinct possibility

Bandung 55 comes to age!!

SHYAM SARAN, fellow at the Center for Policy Research and former Indian Foreign Secretary, calls upon India to make relations with Indonesia, a G-20 power and neighbor, the centrepiece of its Look East policy pointing to commonalities such as plural, diverse, secular democratic polity, cultural affinities buffeted by religious extremism. In an article in Business Standard, "Rising Indonesia", he states that it was incumbent upon India to upgrade its economic and security partnership with Indonesia beyond the current joint maritime patrols to grow naval capabilities and shape an open, inclusive and loosely structured security architecture in Asia.