This book studies India’s evolving naval engagements with other nations of the Indian Ocean region. It traces the growth of the Indian Navy and discusses its role as an instrument of meeting national objectives, particularly for furthering foreign policy. The volume analyses themes such as Indian Navy’s (IN) transition from a brown water to blue water force, Indian maritime debates and doctrines, naval ‘bridge-building’ missions, and Sino-Indian maritime competitions. It examines Indian Navy’s regional roles within the broader framework of its diplomatic objectives in particular regions and looks at how keen regional states are to accept India as a crisis manager and would allow it to build a regional maritime security architecture. The author also discusses state control over naval diplomatic roles and investigates if Indian Navy can effectively hedge extra-regional, mainly Chinese, involvement in the Indian Ocean.
An important study of India’s naval prowess, this book will be indispensable to students and researchers of political science, international relations, maritime and naval studies, strategic studies, geopolitics, defence studies, conflict studies, diplomacy, Indian Ocean studies, South Asian studies and those interested in India-China maritime rivalry.
1. Introduction 2. India’s Maritime Doctrines and Debates 3. Naval Multilateralism 4. Naval Diplomacy in Neighbourhood 5. India’s Malacca Diplomacy 6. Indian Naval Drive into Indo-Pacific 7. In the QUAD 8. Navy’s Gulf Missions 9. Navy’s African diplomacy 10. Conclusion
Biography
P. V. Rao is National Fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research and Former Director, Indian Ocean Centre, Osmania University, India. His publications include India and the Indian Ocean: In the Twilight of the Millennium (2003) and India and Asean: Partners at Summit (2008). Currently he is working on India’s Maritime Power.
