Tokyo, May 23: India’s growing maritime strategy is being recognized as the most reliable and effective response to China’s maritime aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. The country’s “Necklace of Diamonds” strategy, logistics agreements with Australia, France, and Japan, coastal surveillance networks, and the establishment of naval bases in Seychelles, along with the planned sale of BrahMos missiles to the Philippines starting in 2024, are considered significant steps in this direction.
According to a report, other Quad member countries do not possess the same geographical and strategic positioning as India, allowing it to play a unique role in the Indo-Pacific. The report notes that China’s “String of Pearls” strategy is fundamentally designed with India at its center, encompassing ports like Gwadar in Pakistan, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, and Chittagong in Bangladesh, which encircle India’s maritime domain.
The report also highlights that since 2008, China has dispatched over 45 naval missions to the Indian Ocean region and is now operating at least 13 ports in the area. Analysts suggest that this strategy is aimed at balancing India’s maritime influence and increasing regional presence.
It is noted that Western nations often overlook India’s role in the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” framework, where it participates not merely as a partner but with its independent perspective. Prime Minister Modi introduced the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) concept in 2015 in Port Louis, Mauritius, which later became the foundation of India’s maritime policy.
Under this policy, India has conducted anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it provided assistance to Mauritius, the Maldives, Madagascar, Comoros, and Seychelles. Additionally, it established a coastal surveillance radar network from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh.
The report indicates that in March 2025, India transformed this initiative into the OCEAN (Mutual and Comprehensive Advancement for Security and Development in Regions) framework, specifically designed as an inclusive alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
It further states that this initiative was swiftly implemented, with ten African countries participating in the AIKEYME (Africa-India Maritime Engagement) naval exercise in April 2025, while India’s IOS Sagar mission conducted patrols in the EEZ with African and South Asian navies.
The report mentions that India’s refusal to join a formal security alliance with the United States prevents the FOIP from being perceived as a project aimed at countering Western nations in the Global South.
Analysts argue that the FOIP is often viewed as a framework for countering China, emphasizing the need for inclusivity to enhance its credibility as an organizing principle throughout the region. India’s participation on its terms signals to isolated nations in ASEAN, Africa, and South Asia that the FOIP is not a substitute for another Cold War.
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