India’s Maritime Diplomacy in South West Indian Ocean: Evaluating strategic partnerships

Being a maritime nation with considerable economic and military power, India has shown keen interest in demonstrating its role as a major security provider in the IOR. In the Southwest Indian Ocean too, India has sought to develop a security presence and strengthen its position by capitalising on its historic ties with the littoral nations of the region through provision of military training, defence equipment and security advisors. India’s efforts are mostly directed at making the Indian influence more visible in the strategic affairs of the region that seem to be clouded by the increasing Chinese forays into the region. The paper evaluates the strategic relationships through the maritime dimensions of India’s engagement with these littoral nations. The intensity of India’s efforts to be seen as an important maritime security providing power of the region and the response of these littoral states to India’s call for greater cooperation forms an important thrust of the paper. The article argues that India’s national security concerns and great power ambitions manifest itself in India’s engagement in the region. However, greater exploitation of its strategic ties with Mauritius and Seychelles hold the key for greater maritime strategic influence in the region