Maritime Governance, Connectivity, and the Global South: India’s Indo-Pacific Approach

By Shiwani Dumbala

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as the principal arena of contemporary geopolitical and economic transformation. Its expanding strategic significance places maritime governance, connectivity, and security at the centre of global politics. Within this evolving landscape, India has assumed a pivotal role, shaping regional norms while simultaneously articulating the concerns of the Global South. Initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) illustrate how India seeks to safeguard shared interests and promote a stable, inclusive, and rules-based maritime order. India’s understanding of the Indo-Pacific is informed by an interplay of geopolitical ambition, economic interests, and security imperatives. Strategically, India aims to reinforce its position as a net security provider by expanding naval reach and strengthening its operational presence. Its maritime security agenda encompasses the defence of major sea lanes, maintenance of freedom of navigation, peaceful resolution of disputes, and responses to non-traditional threats such as piracy, illegal trafficking, and climate-induced vulnerabilities. Countering China’s growing footprint in the Indian Ocean also constitutes a core element of India’s strategic calculus, particularly with respect to maintaining a favourable balance of power. Economically, India views the region as central to trade expansion, investment, and transparent infrastructure development, alongside its commitment to sustainable development and blue economy cooperation.  

Unlike external powers that view the region primarily through competitive frameworks, India emphasises openness, inclusivity, and cooperative security. The Prime Minister’s articulation of a “Free, Open, and Inclusive Indo-Pacific” at the Shangri-La Dialogue highlights India’s normative commitment to a rules-based regional order and equitable access to global commons. This orientation positions India not only as a stakeholder but as an emerging architect of regional maritime governance. 

The SAGAR doctrine -Security and Growth for All in the Region, captures India’s integrated approach to the maritime domain. When read in conjunction with the civilizational metaphor of “Mahasagar”, it reflects a holistic conception of oceanic space as interconnected rather than fragmented. IPOI further operationalises this vision by advancing cooperation across key functional areas, including maritime security, disaster resilience, sustainable resource utilisation, trade connectivity, and scientific collaboration. 

India’s investments in port and coastal infrastructure from Chabahar in Iran to Sittwe in Myanmar and several island countries, seek to enhance connectivity and diversify regional supply chains. These projects underscore India’s preference for transparent, sovereignty-respecting development partnerships that avoid excessive dependence on singular geopolitical actors. Capacity building has become a central pillar of India’s maritime outreach. Technical training for naval and coast guard personnel, hydrographic surveys, deployment of coastal surveillance networks, and joint patrols have significantly strengthened maritime governance capacities across several smaller states. India’s Navy, widely regarded as a reliable and responsible regional actor, plays an important role in maritime domain awareness and in securing vital trade routes against piracy and illicit activities. Its consistent record as a first responder during regional disasters further enhances India’s credibility as a dependable partner. 

India’s guiding norm of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world as one family) aligns closely with its maritime ethos by promoting inclusivity and cooperation across the oceanic space. The blue economy has become another sphere through which India advances developmental cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Recognising that many Global South countries depend heavily on marine resources, India has expanded partnerships in sustainable fisheries, marine scientific research, and renewable ocean energy. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition of the need to balance economic utilisation of marine resources with the preservation of ecological integrity. India’s consistent advocacy for a rules-based maritime order, grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), reinforces regional predictability and fairness. This emphasis is particularly important for smaller states confronting complex geopolitical dynamics. India’s engagement through IORA, BIMSTEC, ASEAN-led platforms, and regional outreach to western Indian Ocean and Pacific Island states demonstrates its commitment to multilateral and consultative approaches. 

Also, India’s leadership in articulating the concerns of the Global South has become increasingly visible in global forums. Its G20 presidency highlighted critical issues such as debt distress, climate finance, and sustainable development matters that directly affect maritime and island states. India’s demand-driven development cooperation model further distinguishes it as a partner that prioritises the agency and requirements of recipient countries. India’s engagement with Pacific Island Countries exemplifies this orientation. These states face acute vulnerabilities related to climate change, environmental degradation, supply chain disruptions, and health risks. India’s outreach is characterised by transparency, inclusivity, and long-term developmental intent also seeks to strengthen its resilience and ensure a stable future. In a context where major power competition is intensifying, India offers a balanced and confidence-building presence in the region. Taken together, India’s Indo-Pacific strategy combines strategic responsibility with developmental partnership. The philosophical lens of Mahasagar reinforces a civilizational understanding of the maritime domain as unified and mutually dependent. By strengthening maritime capabilities, advancing international norms, and promoting sustainable development, India provides a framework that resonates strongly with the aspirations of the Global South. 

As the Indo-Pacific continues to shape future global political and economic trajectories, India’s engagement is grounded in strategic pragmatism and normative continuity and positions it as a bridge between the Global South and the broader Indo-Pacific construct. Through sustained dialogue, cooperative arrangements, and institution-building, India contributes to the emergence of a more equitable, balanced, and stable maritime order in this Indo-Pacific Architecture. 

Shiwani Dumbala is a post-graduate in Politics and International Relations from Central University of Gujarat. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies.