India is consolidating naval relations with partner countries and working to become a net security prover in the Indo-Pacific while trying to expand footprints in the Indian Ocean Region. 

Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, told an online roundtable discussion organised by Gateway House and the US Embassy that India has sought to strengthen security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific by becoming a net security provider.

“It has built relations with partner countries across the region. It has provided defence training courses and deputed mobile training teams. Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean region has enhanced maritime domain awareness among partner countries,” he said.

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, which gathers 35 navies, also contributes to deepening mutual understanding on maritime challenges, and the country’s Security And Growth for All in the Region” policy or SAGAR focuses on securing regional supply chains, avoiding disproportionate dependence on a single country, and ensuring prosperity of all stakeholders, he stated. 

Meanwhile, India and Oman will work to have more joint ventures to enhance cooperation between the defence industries of the two countries. Defence ties with Oman are significant for India for many reasons; all three services have bilateral exchanges and exercises with Oman’s services, and the country provides operational support to the Indian Navy for anti-piracy missions in the Arabian Sea.

Oman is an important partner for India, especially at a time when India is trying to expand its footprint in the Indian Ocean Region, according to The Indian Express. Oman is also the country’s strongest defence partner in the Gulf region.

Oman’s Secretary-General at the Ministry of Defence, Mohammed Bin Nasser Bin Ali Al Zaabi, who is the executive head of the country’s defence establishment, 
in India on a four-day visit, met Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and an official statement said they “discussed ways to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries”. 

He also briefed Singh about the 11th India–Oman Joint Military Cooperation Committee Meeting (JMCC) on bilateral defence cooperation which was held on January 31, co-chaired by Al Zaabi and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar. The JMCC is the apex body between the defence ministries of India and Oman to comprehensively review and guide all aspects of bilateral defence cooperation.

During the meeting, the two sides “reviewed the progress made in military-to-military engagements, including joint exercises, industry cooperation and various ongoing infrastructure projects” and decided to “identify new avenues and examine areas of mutual interest for Joint Venture in order to enhance defence industry cooperation”. They also discussed the conduct of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief exercise “involving the three services and enhancing the scope and complexities of the existing joint exercises,” the statement mentioned, and added that both the countries “agreed to work together to combat the issue of drug trafficking prevalent in the North Arabian Sea.”

Al Zaabi also met the chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, and leaders of India’s defence industry. He will visit Cochin Shipyard Limited, Military Training Establishments and the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant, during his stay.

India has got access to the Duqm port in Oman, strengthening India’s capability and maritime strategy in the Indian Ocean Region, especially against China’s aggressive advance in the region, The Indian Express noted. 

Also, India and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday discussed cooperation in the field of maritime domain awareness and joint naval activities as part of their efforts to ensure an open, inclusive and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. These issues figured in the second India-EU maritime security dialogue, which was held in a virtual format. The two sides said in a joint statement that the consultations focused on developments in the maritime security environment and policy developments covering the EU’s strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

“India and the EU discussed cooperation, including in the field of maritime domain awareness, capacity-building and joint naval activities, following their successful joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden in June 2021,” the statement said.

India currently has one of the largest facilities for maritime domain awareness in the form of the Gurugram-based Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region of the Indian Navy. Among the partner countries that have posted international liaison officers at the centre are Australia, France, Japan, the Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, the UK and the US.
 
In addition to tracking merchant shipping, the centre helps maintain a close watch on the activities of Chinese naval and other vessels in regional waters.

The statement also said India and the EU are committed to a “free, open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region” that is underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This was an apparent reference to China’s activities across the Indo-Pacific, especially the South China Sea, where Beijing is involved in maritime disputes with several Southeast Asian nations and has stepped up its military activities.

(SAM)