• Research
  • Diwan
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Middle East logoCarnegie lettermark logo
LebanonIran
{
  "authors": [
    "Darshana M. Baruah"
  ],
  "type": "other",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie India"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie India",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South Asia",
    "India",
    "Indo-Pacific"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

Other
Carnegie India

India's Evolving Maritime Domain Awareness Strategy in the Indian Ocean

India's geographic location in the Indian Ocean naturally renders the Indian Navy as one of the key players in the region, and an important partner for the Indian Ocean community to keep the area stable and secure.

Link Copied
By Darshana M. Baruah
Published on Aug 9, 2018

Source: Oxford University Press

The Indian Ocean is an area of primary importance to the Indian Navy and instability in the region directly affects India's security environment. India's geographic location in the Indian Ocean naturally renders the Indian Navy as one of the key players in the region and an important partner for the Indian Ocean community to keep the area stable and secure. Compared to the Pacific, the Indian Ocean has previously been fairly free of conflicts and geopolitical competition giving India a sense of security in its Indian Ocean role. New Delhi for far too long has been occupied with troubles along its continental border with limited focus on maritime security. The lack of an interest in developing a coherent maritime security strategy in the Indian defence establishment was aided by a relatively favourable maritime environment. The security environment in the Indian Ocean today, however, is quickly changing with a rise in strategic competition. Recent developments have forced New Delhi to take a fresh look at its maritime strategy, particularly under the current government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This chapter examines enhancing India's maritime domain awareness (MDA) in the Indian Ocean as a part of India's new maritime outlook. It underlines the factors driving this change especially in context of the Sino-Indian relationship. The chapter concludes with a set of recommendations to enhance India's surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean region improving its domain awareness.

Read the Full Text

This book chapter was originally published by the Oxford University Press.

About the Author

Darshana M. Baruah

Former Nonresident Scholar, South Asia Program

Darshana M. Baruah was a nonresident scholar with the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where she directs the Indian Ocean Initiative.

    Recent Work

  • Q&A
    How Chinese Financing Shapes the Pacific

      Darshana M. Baruah, Satyendra Prasad, Denghua Zhang

  • In The Media
    Why Climate Change Is Especially Dire for Islands

      Darshana M. Baruah

Darshana M. Baruah
Former Nonresident Scholar, South Asia Program
Darshana M. Baruah
Foreign PolicySouth AsiaIndiaIndo-Pacific

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

  • people watching smoke rising at sunrise from rooftops
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Bombing Campaigns Do Not Bring About Democracy. Nor Does Regime Change Without a Plan.

    Just look at Iraq in 1991.

      Marwan Muasher

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Iran and the New Geopolitical Moment

    A coalition of states is seeking to avert a U.S. attack, and Israel is in the forefront of their mind.

      Michael Young

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Baku Proceeds With Caution as Ethnic Azeris Join Protests in Neighboring Iran

    Baku may allow radical nationalists to publicly discuss “reunification” with Azeri Iranians, but the president and key officials prefer not to comment publicly on the protests in Iran.

      Bashir Kitachaev

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Iran’s Woes Aren’t Only Domestic

    The country’s leadership is increasingly uneasy about multiple challenges from the Levant to the South Caucasus.

      Armenak Tokmajyan

  • A municipal employee raises the US flag among those of other nations in Sharm el-Sheikh, as the Egyptian Red Sea resort town gets ready to receive international leaders, following a Gaza ceasefire agreement, on October 11, 2025.
    Article
    The Tragedy of Middle Eastern Politics

    The countries of the region have engaged in sustained competition that has tested their capacities and limitations, while resisting domination by rivals. Can a more stable order emerge from this maelstrom, and what would it require?

      • Mohamed Ali Adraoui

      Hamza Meddeb, Mohamed Ali Adraoui

Get more news and analysis from
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Carnegie Middle East logo, white
  • Research
  • Diwan
  • About
  • Experts
  • Projects
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.