Multilateralism in the Indian Ocean

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Published On - January 25, 2025

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Abstract 

The Indian Ocean has been a hub of cultural and commercial exchange since ancient times. Even today the Indian Ocean continues to hold immense geopolitical significance in the world. Multilateralism provides an effective framework to address shared challenges such as security threats, economic disparities and environmental vulnerabilities. It’s crucial to analyse multilateralism in the Indian Ocean with an emphasis on geopolitical aspects, operational mechanisms and India’s leadership role.

Introduction

The Indian Ocean is the backbone of global trade, energy flows, and cultural exchange. It encloses a vast area with critical sea lines of communication (SLOCs), the Indian Ocean connects over 40 countries across the continents Asia, Africa, and Oceania. This region is home to some of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Malacca, and the Bab el-Mandeb, making it a sensitive region for global stability.

In recent years, the region has come at the forefront of strategic competition, particularly with the rise of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the evolving Indo-Pacific strategies led by the United States and its allies. Smaller states in the region endorse inclusive and cooperative frameworks to address pressing challenges such as piracy, climate change, and economic inequality. Amid such dynamics, multilateralism has emerged as a key mechanism to balance interests, ensure regional stability, and foster sustainable development. This paper explores the evolution, effectiveness, and future trajectory of multilateralism in the Indian Ocean, with a special focus on India’s leadership role.

Historical Context of Multilateralism in the Indian Ocean

Ancient Networks

[1]The Indian Ocean has facilitated civilization and commerce for millennia. Historical records, including those in the Rigveda and ancient Greek chronicles, highlight its role as a conduit for the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures. Maritime trade routes connected the Roman Empire with the Indian subcontinent, while Arab traders propagated Islamic culture and knowledge across the region. This early form of multilateralism, though informal, served as a foundational framework for fostering interconnected societies and economies across the Indian Ocean region.

Colonial and Post-Colonial Era

The colonial era marked a turning point in the Indian Ocean’s history. European powers, notably the British, French, and Dutch, leveraged the region for resource extraction and strategic control. The Suez Canal’s opening in 1869 further solidified the Indian Ocean’s importance in global geopolitics.

Post-colonial states, emerging from the shackles of European dominance, sought to reclaim sovereignty and foster regional cooperation. Initiatives such as the Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung (1955) emphasized solidarity among Indian Ocean states. However, Cold War dynamics often hampered genuine multilateral efforts, as superpower rivalries overshadowed regional priorities.

Modern Multilateral Frameworks

Recent multilateral efforts in the Indian Ocean region have focused on enhancing cooperation and addressing shared challenges. The India-ASEAN Maritime Exercise (IMEX), launched in 2023, strengthens maritime security and interoperability, tackling piracy and illegal fishing. India’s Blue Economy Initiative (2023) promotes sustainable ocean resource use, emphasizing renewable energy and marine conservation, aligning with regional goals for environmental sustainability.

Additionally,  BRICS has increasingly recognized the importance of maritime security in the Indian Ocean, advocating for secure sea lanes and regional connectivity. Initiatives like the Quad and India’s SAGAR doctrine further accentuate the need for a rules-based order to ensure security, freedom of navigation, and sustainable development in the region. These efforts collectively aim to address the Indian Ocean’s diverse challenges.

Theoretical Frameworks for Multilateralism

Liberal Institutionalism

This perspective highlights the role of institutions such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in fostering cooperation.

Realist Paradigm

Realist theories explain the strategic competition among major powers notably India, China, and the United States in leveraging multilateral frameworks for their interests.

Constructivism

Constructivist approaches focus on shared identities and norms, such as climate resilience and sustainable development, which influence multilateral engagements.

Operational Mechanisms of Multilateralism

Economic Cooperation

  • IORA’s Role: Under the role of IORA, significant efforts are being made to foster trade, investment, and economic integration among its 23 member states, yet intra-regional trade remains under 22% of total trade.
    • Analysis: The UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport 2024 indicates that while global maritime trade is projected to grow by 2% in 2024, the Indian Ocean region faces challenges such as geopolitical tensions and climate change, which impact regional trade dynamics. These obstacles continue to hinder the potential for deeper economic cooperation within the region.
    • [2]Trade and Development Report 2024 underscores the importance of deeper regional integration and overcoming existing barriers to enhance multilateralism in the Indian Ocean. Greater cooperation and strategic shifts are essential to unlock the region’s full potential and foster more inclusive growth.
  • Maritime Trade Dynamics: The Indian Ocean accounts for 85% of the world’s maritime oil transit. Multilateral frameworks aim to ensure uninterrupted trade flows, but logistical disparities remain significant.
    • Analysis: [3]Port efficiency metrics from 2024 show a widening gap between developed hubs like Singapore and emerging ports in Africa, deepening the infrastructure disparities.

Maritime Security

  • Piracy and Transnational Crime:
    • Data: The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports a 40% decline in piracy incidents since 2017, but regional hotspots like the Gulf of Aden remain volatile.
    • Incident: In February 2024, a multilateral operation led by India, the United States, and France intercepted a drug smuggling ring off the coast of Madagascar, highlighting the success of coordinated intelligence sharing.
  • Geopolitical Rivalries:
    • Chinese investments, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), have raised concerns about debt diplomacy and strategic encirclement.
    • India counters this through strategic partnerships with Quad members and enhanced regional outreach. For instance, the 2024 Quad Maritime Security Dialogue emphasized collective countermeasures against illegal fishing.

Environmental Sustainability

  • Climate Change and Vulnerable States:
    • Rising sea levels threaten low-lying island nations like Maldives and Seychelles. India’s leadership in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) underscores its commitment to resilience.
    • Data: Recent IPCC projections indicate that by 2050, over 20% of the Indian Ocean’s coastal population could be displaced due to climate change.
    • Incident: [4]In March 2024, Cyclone Mocha caused extensive damage in Bangladesh and Myanmar, with India coordinating regional disaster relief efforts through IORA’s disaster response mechanism.
  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
    • [5]Multilateral cooperation has advanced SDGs in the region, particularly through projects promoting renewable energy, biodiversity conservation, and marine resource management.
    • India’s International Solar Alliance (ISA) facilitated the installation of over 2 GW of solar capacity across Indian Ocean island nations in 2023.

Challenges to Multilateralism in the Indian Ocean

Institutional Fragmentation

  • Overlapping Mandates:
    • [6]Organizations like IORA, IONS, and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) often face redundancy and coordination issues.
    • Analysis: Limited institutional capacities hinder comprehensive solutions, as seen in fragmented disaster response mechanisms during the 2023 Cyclone Freddy.

Geopolitical Tensions

  • China-India Rivalry:
    • [7]China’s dominance in infrastructure projects, including Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, raises strategic concerns for India.
    • India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative aims to counterbalance China’s influence by emphasizing inclusivity and local partnerships.
  • External Power Dynamics:
    • The U.S., EU, and other external actors complicate regional multilateralism, often prioritizing strategic interests over regional stability.

Capacity Constraints

  • Smaller states in the Indian Ocean region face resource and technological limitations, restricting their participation in multilateral initiatives.
    • Example: Limited maritime capabilities in African coastal nations hamper anti-piracy efforts and disaster response readiness.

India’s Leadership in Multilateralism

Strategic Initiatives

  1. SAGAR Doctrine:
  • [8]India’s SAGAR doctrine promotes security and growth for all stakeholders through inclusivity, sustainability, and capacity building.
  • Impact: Enhanced partnerships with ASEAN, African coastal nations, and island states. For instance, India’s humanitarian missions supported 12 Indian Ocean nations in 2023.
  1. Quad Collaborations:
  • [9]The Quad comprising India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia focuses on ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
  • Incident: During the 2024 Quad summit in Sydney, member nations agreed on establishing a joint monitoring mechanism to combat illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean.
  1. Blue Economy Advocacy:
  • India advocates for sustainable exploitation of marine resources, supporting regional initiatives for fisheries management and renewable energy.
  • Analysis: [10]India’s blue economy contributed approximately 4% to the country’s GDP in 2024. This sector, which includes fisheries, maritime tourism, and renewable energy, continues to grow with initiatives like the Maritime India Vision 2047 and the Deep Ocean Mission. These efforts aim to further enhance the blue economy’s role in India’s economic development in the coming years.
  1.  BRICS:

○       [11]India’s leadership in multilateralism is evident through its active role in BRICS, where it advocates for the inclusion of emerging economies in global governance. India has pushed for reforms in international financial institutions, ensuring better representation for developing nations. It has also emphasized sustainable development and climate action within the BRICS framework.

○       In addition, India has worked to strengthen intra-BRICS trade and investment through initiatives like the New Development Bank (NDB), promoting a more balanced global trading system. Beyond BRICS, India plays a pivotal role in regional frameworks such as IORA, the Quad, and ASEAN-led initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to shaping global economic and security policies.

  • Analysis: In 2024, India strengthened its leadership in multilateralism with BRICS expanding to include new members, enhancing the group’s influence. India’s trade with Russia is also set to reach $100 billion by 2030, underscoring its growing role in global economic cooperation.

Success Metrics

  • Data: India’s trade with IORA countries grew by 32% between 2018 and 2023, reflecting its economic integration efforts.
  • Policy Outcomes: Multilateral disaster management exercises reduced response times by 25% in 2024 compared to 2020.

Future Directions for Multilateralism

Policy Recommendations

  1. Institutional Strengthening:
  • Establish a unified Indian Ocean Secretariat to coordinate activities across multilateral frameworks.
  • Increase funding and technical support for smaller member states.
  1. Technological Innovations:
  • Invest in AI-driven maritime monitoring systems to enhance security and resource management.
  1. Inclusive Development:
  • Ensure equitable participation of all stakeholders, emphasizing the needs of smaller nations.
  1. Public-Private Partnerships:
  • Mobilize private sector resources for infrastructure development, renewable energy projects, and climate resilience.

Geopolitical Strategies

  • Promote confidence-building measures to mitigate rivalries, focusing on shared interests such as counterterrorism and disaster response.
  • Strengthen partnerships with non-traditional players, including African and Middle Eastern nations.

Conclusion

India has been a traditional proponent of multilateralism.Over the years, India has navigated the multilateral world to ensure a supportive external environment of peace, security, and stability to accelerate the transformation underway in India. The Indian Ocean is the most relevant example of multilateralism in the world. There is a need to overcome tenacious challenges that require strong institutions, creative solutions, and unwavering political commitment.By addressing institutional shortcomings and leveraging collective strengths, the Indian Ocean can set a powerful example for effective multilateralism, paving the way for lasting collaboration and growth.

Author: Ms.Aashna Gupta, Student Economics honors with Political Science, Motilal Nehru College, University of Delhi

Disclaimer – The views and opinions expressed in the commentaries/blogs/articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Forum for Global Studies.

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