Between China and The West: India’s Indo-Pacific Balancing Act

An Analytical Policy Brief on India’s Maritime Strategy in the Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as the epicenter of global economic and strategic competition, with Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) carrying over 95% of India’s trade and a significant share of global energy flows. As geopolitical tensions intensify—particularly amid China’s expanding maritime footprint and the evolving security architecture shaped by initiatives such as AUKUS—the region has become central to India’s strategic calculus. This brief examines the shifting maritime security landscape, key geopolitical challenges, India’s evolving naval posture, and the strategic imperatives required to sustain regional stability while safeguarding national interests. This paper analyses the evolving maritime security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, the key challenges, the role of the stakeholders and the strategic imperatives for regional stability.

BACKGROUND

The Indo-Pacific is a vast, integrated geographic and strategic construct encompassing the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it extends roughly from the eastern coast of Africa to the western coast of the Americas, encompassing South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia, and Pacific island nations. Geographically, it bridges two oceans, strategically, it is a contested, high-stakes region defined by over 60% of the world’s population, major maritime trade routes and chokepoints, and intense geopolitical competition. A maritime security strategy is a comprehensive framework of measures, policies, and operations designed to protect a nation’s territorial waters, sea lanes, and maritime interests from various threats, including piracy, terrorism, trafficking, and environmental hazards.

GEOPOLITICAL FAULT LINES IN THE INDO-PACIFIC

The major challenge for India in the Indo-Pacific region lies in intense strategic competition with both China and the United States, which has led to overlapping claims, territorial disputes—particularly in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean—and rapid military build-ups. China’s territorial assertiveness through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) poses a significant strategic challenge for India, as it seeks to establish a “String of Pearls” encirclement strategy through infrastructure projects in Pakistan, especially the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Projects such as the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, Gwadar Port in Pakistan, and the Djibouti military base have expanded China’s military and naval footprint in the Indian Ocean, thereby constraining India’s traditional sphere of influence and creating potential strategic and military bottlenecks. While the BRI provides much-needed infrastructure financing for developing nations, it has often led to unsustainable debt burdens for smaller countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. This has raised concerns over “debt-trap diplomacy,” potentially compromising their economic sovereignty and political stability, while simultaneously strengthening China’s ties with India’s neighbors and diminishing India’s influence in South Asia.

AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership formed in September 2021 between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It focuses on enhancing defense capabilities through two pillars: providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) and fostering advanced technology collaboration in AI, cyber, and quantum technologies. AUKUS is perceived by Beijing as a direct containment mechanism of BRI, likely leading to further militarization of the South China Sea, tighter China-Russia, and broader, more assertive Chinese naval operations in Indo-Pacific.

 Further the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines by a non-nuclear weapons state (Australia) sets a precedent, prompting regional actors to enhance their own naval and advanced weaponry increasing the potential for conflict. In diplomatic terms the pact forces Southeast Asian and Pacific nations to choose between aligning with the U.S. or China.

OPERATIONALISING MARITIME STRATEGY

India is strengthening its maritime security in the Indo-Pacific by acting as a “net security provider,” which includes The MAHASAGAR doctrine in 2025 a strategic evolution from the regional SAGAR vision. The doctrine positions India as a “first responder” for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Strengthening ties with nations like Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, and Tanzania through joint exercises, surveillance, and capacity building. Particularly by enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) for smaller nations it provides a collaborative, rule-based alternative to other regional powers transactional approaches.

In 2024–2025, the Indian Navy deployed over 10 warships for Operation Sankalp in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to secure commercial shipping from Houthi attacks. Indian Navy has saved 110 lives in the operations which includes 45 Indians and 65 international citizens during Operation Sankalp and other missions responding  to 13 attack incidents in 2024.

Following bilateral talks on 7^th of February 2026, India and Malaysia agreed to expand defence ties, including enhanced counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and maritime security cooperation including a decision to establish a Consulate General in Malaysia to enhance strategic engagement.  Both prime ministers have appreciated the visit of INS Sahyadri to Kemaman, Malaysia in October 2025 and of hydrographic vessel INS Sandhayak to Port Klang, Malaysia in July 2025. The leaders also welcomed the regular navy-to-navy interactions between the countries, including under bilateral and multilateral naval exercises such as ‘Samudra Laksamana’, MILAN and ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME).

Along with bilateral talks 9th Indian Ocean Conference is scheduled for April 10–12, 2026 in Mauritius, focusing on “Collective Stewardship for Indian Ocean Governance”.

2026 is set up to be a milestone year for the Indian Navy, featuring the largest-ever annual expansion in maritime security driven by “Make in India” initiative including 19 planned warship inductions, Nilgiri-class frigates, Ikshak-class survey vessels, and Nistar-class diving support vessels.12 Mine Countermeasure Vessels (MCMVs).Shipbuilding timelines have also been significantly reduced, dropping from 9 years to approximately 6 years through modular construction and AI integration. 

CHARTING THE PATH AHEAD

India is working upon to make an integrated effort to strengthen maritime security in Indo-Pacific through bilateral, multilateral defence pacts and agreements along with vessels and defence equipments expansion in Indian navy by integrating AI advancement into it taking forward its Viksit Bharat 2047 aim.

However, Trump’s imposition of fifty percent tariffs on India and seeming outreach to Pakistan had shattered India-US relations, the administration had already alienated some Asian partners through its repeated tariff negotiations as a result major Asian powers are moving toward Russia and china in view of western trade restraints which includes active involvements of BRICS and ASEAN. Recent news of Indo-US bilateral trade deal reducing tariffs from 50% to 18% seems a more controversial diplomatic topic in news right now than a masterstroke.

The game remains the same for India as always how India can align with both West and Asia primarily safeguarding its maritime boundaries along with maintaining a strong defence position in shifting global dynamics.

(The writer of this article is Himadri Agarwal, student of Kanoria College, Jaipur. She is an undergraduate student of Economics, Geography, and Political Science with research interests in Indo-Pacific geopolitics, maritime security, and India’s foreign policy.)