Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: A Changing Kaleidoscope

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR), though considered an important maritime region, has not yet been accorded the due importance of a geo-strategic entity. One attributable reason is the ‘sandwiching’ of the IOR between two ‘hotspots’—the South China sea and the Persian Gulf that divert the attention of nations from this area. While there are commonalities like ‘Freedom of Navigation’, the divergences—caused by varying strategic interests even while addressing common security issues such as piracy—have resulted in a sectoral view of the maritime security paradigm in the IOR. The security picture is thus affected by the waning interest and presence of nations historically linked with the region as well as the advent of China. This article examines how the strategic interest of nations is affecting the maritime security conundrum of the IOR.