UPSC Mains
GS Paper II
International Relations
The Bay of Bengal as India’s SHANTI Anchor: UPSC Mains Notes
India has introduced the SHANTI framework alongside its UNSC candidature, positioning the Bay of Bengal as the proving ground for a maritime approach built on norms, trust and integrity rather than naval tonnage.
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SHANTI Stands For
Norms, Trust & Integrity
Securing Holistic Advancement
Policy Evolution
SAGAR (2015) → MAHASAGAR (2025) → SHANTI
Intent → Scope → Method
First Joint Exercise
November 2026
Under the BIMSTEC framework
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SHANTI Framework: Context and Background
- India’s External Affairs Minister introduced SHANTI — Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity — while launching India’s UNSC candidature.
- India aims to be the “preferred security partner” and first responder in the Bay of Bengal region.
2015
SAGAR
Security and Growth for All in the Region — a statement of intent for India’s maritime engagement.
2025
MAHASAGAR
Expanded the scope of India’s maritime vision beyond the initial SAGAR framing.
2026
SHANTI
Provides the operational method — norms, trust and institutional integrity — to implement the earlier vision.
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Key Aspects of SHANTI Framework
- Normative Currency: Norms, trust and integrity replace naval tonnage as the new currency of maritime advantage.
- Cooperative Shift: Moves the region from competition to demand-driven cooperation among littoral states.
- Governance Model: Shifts from episodic crisis management to building long-term maritime resilience.
- The Bay’s Strategic Role: Connects India’s Act East Policy with ASEAN and the Malacca Strait.
- The Malacca Dilemma: China’s dependence on the Malacca Strait for trade is driving its regional infrastructure expansion in the Bay.
- BIMSTEC Progress: The July 2026 NSA-level meeting adopted common maritime law enforcement principles, with the first joint maritime security exercise agreed for November 2026.
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Challenges in Bay of Bengal Maritime Security
Institutional FragmentationNo common framework aligning existing regional mechanisms
Climate ThreatsCyclones and coastal erosion cross national boundaries by default
Illegal FishingUnregulated fishing depletes shared stocks without coordinated enforcement
Cyber GapsUndersea cable protection remains inadequately addressed
China’s ExpansionPort projects are intensifying geopolitical competition in the Bay
Disaster Response GapNo coordinated mechanisms in the world’s most disaster-prone maritime region
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The Bay of Bengal’s core paradox is that it is simultaneously one of the world’s most strategically vital and most institutionally under-governed maritime spaces — SHANTI’s real test is whether it can build durable frameworks faster than competing infrastructure investment reshapes the region.
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Way Forward: Operationalising SHANTI in the Bay of Bengal
Conduct the Joint Maritime Exercise
Deliver the first joint BIMSTEC maritime exercise in the Bay as scheduled for November 2026.
Finalise White Shipping Agreement
Urgently complete the information-sharing agreement under the BIMSTEC framework.
Align Blue Economy Governance
Coordinate institutions around shared fisheries management and blue economy norms.
Build Disaster Frameworks
Establish common disaster risk reduction mechanisms for all littoral states.
Adopt a Stewardship Model
Ensure India’s regional role rests on stewardship rather than dominance.
Leverage the UNSC Platform
Use India’s 2028-29 UNSC membership to advance SHANTI principles in global maritime governance.
The strategic throughline: SAGAR stated the intent, MAHASAGAR expanded the scope, and SHANTI must now prove the method — with the Bay of Bengal as its first real test case.
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Source: The Hindu
