Syllabus: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
India’s Early Ocean Leadership
- During UNCLOS negotiations, India supported vulnerable island nations advocating seabed resources as the common heritage of mankind.
- This reflected India’s fairness-based diplomacy, aligning with small states despite its size.
- Nehru recognised oceans as central to India’s future security and prosperity.
- Ocean pressures today—warming, acidification, sea-level rise, and IUU fishing—far exceed earlier expectations.
- The Indian Ocean hosts one-third of humanity, making climate vulnerability more severe.
Need for a Blue Ocean Strategy
- Stewardship
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- India must promote the Indian Ocean as a shared and cooperative space.
- Priorities include ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, and sustainable fisheries.
- Cooperative governance can discourage competitive exploitation of marine resources.
- Resilience
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- Intensifying climate impacts demand adaptation and preparedness-based frameworks.
- India can establish a Regional Resilience and Ocean Innovation Hub to enhance warning systems and observation networks.
- Such initiatives should support small island states and African coastal nations.
- Inclusive Growth
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- The Ocean must drive equitable prosperity for all littoral states.
- Growth areas include green shipping, offshore renewables, sustainable aquaculture, and marine biotechnology.
- Realisation requires regional coordination and sustained investment.
Global Financing Momentum
- BEFF 2025 showcased a €25 billion pipeline and €8.7 billion new commitments for ocean initiatives.
- The Finance in Common Ocean Coalition pledged $7.5 billion annually.
- COP30’s One Ocean Partnership aims to mobilise $20 billion by 2030.
- India can channel these flows through an Indian Ocean Blue Fund to convert pledges into projects.
Security Through Sustainability
- Maritime insecurity often begins with ecosystem collapse and climate disruptions, not military rivalry.
- Issues like IUU fishing (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing), coral decline, and storm surges disrupt livelihoods and stability.
- SAGAR doctrine emphasises a region of peace, stability, and shared prosperity.
- Navy and Coast Guard cooperation can align security aims with environmental stewardship.
- India must project a narrative of responsibility and cooperative leadership.
India’s Emerging Global Responsibility
- Indira Gandhi warned against environmental and human impoverishment, reinforcing sustainable development.
- COP30, G-20, UNOC3, and BBNJ outcomes signal a transformative global ocean governance phase.
- India’s readiness to ratify BBNJ provides scope to pioneer blue bonds, green shipping corridors, and inclusive technology transfer.
- This agenda strengthens India’s role in the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
Conclusion
- India’s ocean diplomacy legacy gives it credibility, while current challenges impose responsibility.
- The Indian Ocean can become a cradle of a sustainable blue economy, balancing prosperity with resilience.
- India must now convert ambition into finance, partnerships, and sustained action to lead meaningfully.