Ambitions of Great Powers in Indian Ocean Region: Impacts on Regional Maritime Stability

The Indian Ocean Region has emerged as the central locus of geopolitical contestation and strategic aspirations of global and regional powers due to its centrality in international trade, energy transit, and security concerns. This article looks at the ambitions of key great powers-primarily the United States, China, and India, though Pakistan and other regional powers such as Australia, Japan, and Middle Eastern states also contribute to shaping the IOR's evolving strategic environment. PRC, of late, has increased its footprint in the Indian Ocean Region under the auspices of the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. This rising Chinese presence in the region is a cause of concern for India, which sees this as an effort to strategically encircle her. This has grave implications for its so-called role as a net security provider in the region and its national security. To counterbalance the Chinese moves in the IOR, India has undertaken a number of actions, which in turn raises the geopolitical anxieties of China, thus prompting her to take counter-reactions. The rationale behind China's strategy to move from near-seas to the far-seas is discussed in this paper. Increasing Chinese presence has made India realize its goal of becoming a major maritime power more aggressively, often taking actions perceived as offensive by China, hence leading to countermeasures. This has ensued a chain of actions, reactions, and counter-actions among these competing states having far-reaching consequences for the region and the world. This research argues that the Chinese footprint is driven mostly by its economic ambitions and finds military aspects associated with the BRI to be perceived threats, given that in reality, China faces many vulnerabilities in the IOR. Thus, it is unlikely that it will build bases with an offensive intention. Instead, the growing Chinese presence in the region could be explained by developing Chinese apprehensions about the security of its SLOCs. Besides, possible areas of cooperation between both India and China and the future of their rivalry are also predicted while suggesting some measures for both of them.