New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) The Indian Ocean Region (IOR), being the critical maritime domain bordering three continents — Asia, African and Australia, and contributing to more than 70 to 75 per cent international trade via the crucial sea-route, remains one of the most vital and vulnerable assets in the 21st century.

With India positioned at the centre, its role as security provider for the 7,500-km coastline becomes all the more important evident.

The government’s focus on building ties with key stakeholders in the region via diplomatic outreach is a testament of its priorities and commitment to fortify and strengthen the most vital sea-route.

Notably, India has lately upgraded its diplomatic outreach in the region rather successfully, seeking to build stronger ties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Malaysia on February 8, was a step in this direction.

India has sought to build better ties with countries like Malaysia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Oman — all of whom are seen as key stakeholder in the IOR.

According to an assessment by a leading portal Eurasia Review, “India’s Naval diplomacy has shown the scale of foundation laid over years of humanitarian work, port access negotiations, and quiet diplomatic capital-building.”

“What became visible was not a flurry of last-minute activism but the crest of a long strategic wave. At the heart of that wave stood Kuala Lumpur — India’s first stop in a series of engagements that pulled together the entire breadth of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR),” it says.

It also says that India and Malaysia have shown willingness and resolve to enhance maritime co-operation, and this was evident from their heightened bid to engage in the IOR.

“Malaysia’s geographic position astride the Strait of Malacca, a chokepoint through which nearly a quarter of global trade flows. Joint exercises such as ‘Samudra Laksamana’ now carry heightened value as India and Malaysia emphasise an open, rules-based maritime order,” it adds.

The report describing Oman as “the anchor of the West”, says that the Gulf nation has consistently offered India something few nations can claim with such reliability: strategic predictability.

“Maritime exercises, particularly Naseem Al Bahr, have matured into wider defence-industrial frameworks under a Vision Document adopted in 2025,” it says, adding that partnership with Oman is crucial for India’s western flank.

On February 9, Indian government also announced a $175 million special economic package for Seychelles, underlining its determination to prevent the southern Indian Ocean from ‘slipping into the hands of’ predatory external powers.

Also, over the years, India has become Sri Lanka’s primary partner for naval training and equipments. This maintained the neutrality of Sri Lankan waters at a time when various powers have attempted to secure footholds for geopolitical leverage.

The report further points towards India’s increasing engagements with varied nations under a common doctrine of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

“The upcoming MILAN 2026 naval exercises, set to be the largest India has hosted, will likely serve as the next major platform to demonstrate the maturing of this vision,” the report says, illustrating the changing equations.

–IANS

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