Q. "Indo pacific is the circulatory system of the global economy." Examine the statement with special reference to India and its initiatives of...

2026-08-22

Question

Q. "Indo pacific is the circulatory system of the global economy." Examine the statement with special reference to India and its initiatives of SAGAR, IPOI, Act east policy and other multilateral cooperation. (15 marks 250 Words)

Model Answer

Paper

GS II

Subject

International Relations

Syllabus as Per Notification

Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

Topic

Indo-Pacific

Approach:

Introduction

Introduce by establishing the Indo-Pacific centrality to global trade and energy flows and India’s role in keeping these economic arteries open, secure and resilient.

Body

Briefly explain why Indo-Pacific considered as “circulatory system” of the global economy

How India’s Indo-Pacific Initiatives Advance Its National Interests

Securing Indian trade and energy lifelines, protecting freedom of navigation and strategic autonomy, diversifying connectivity and trade routes, preventing disruptions to India’s maritime commerce, building resilience against external economic shocks, Shaping a regional order favourable to India’s interests.

Challenges to India’s Indo-Pacific Vision

Strategic competition and constrained strategic autonomy, Connectivity and economic integration deficits, Maritime surveillance and resilience gaps.

Way Forward

Promoting connectivity and economic resilience, strengthening technology-enabled maritime security, Strengthening inclusive and strategic partnerships.

Conclusion

Conclude by emphasising India’s long-term objective should evolve from a security stakeholder to a provider of regional public goods.

Context

Experts emphasized urgent need to expedite Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) to ensure unimpeded global trade amidst rising tensions in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Introduction

Indo-Pacific emerged as the principal maritime, economic and strategic theatre of the 21st century, linking East Asian production centres with energy suppliers, markets and global trade routes. With over 80% of global merchandise trade carried by sea, maritime connectivity directly influences global economic activity. Thus, Indo-Pacific resembles the “circulatory system” of the global economy, with its maritime arteries sustaining the movement of goods, energy and resources.

Body

Indo-Pacific: The “circulatory system” of the global economy

Indo-Pacific hosts vital Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) connecting Asian production centres with markets across Europe, Africa and North America, while Asia accounts for a dominant share of global container traffic.

Indian Ocean links West Asian energy producers with major Asian consumers, with chokepoints such as Strait of Hormuz, Malacca and Bab-el-Mandeb critical to global energy and commodity flows.

The region hosts major economies such as China, Japan, South Korea, India and ASEAN, which are key drivers of global manufacturing, trade and supply chains.

How India’s Indo-Pacific Initiatives Advance the National Interests

Securing Indian trade and energy lifelines

SAGAR strengthens maritime security, HADR and capacity-building to keep the sea routes vital to trade and energy supplies open; Operation Kaveri showcased India's first-responder role.

Sabang Port, near the Strait of Malacca, and MAHASAGAR Vision strengthen India ability to secure its maritime interests across the wider Indian Ocean.

Protecting freedom of navigation and strategic autonomy

India advocacy of UNCLOS-based order and freedom of navigation safeguards maritime conditions vital to commerce and energy security, amid South China Sea tensions.

Malabar exercises strengthens interoperability with QUAD partners, enhancing India ability to deter disruptions to vital maritime routes while preserving strategic autonomy.

Diversifying connectivity and trade routes

Act East Policy connects Northeast Indian with Southeast Asian markets through IMT Trilateral Highway and Kaladan Project, reducing connectivity deficit of India.

India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and BIMSTEC provide additional trade corridors, supporting India's ambition to become a regional connectivity and supply-chain hub.

Preventing disruptions to India’s maritime commerce

IFC-IOR and Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) improve maritime surveillance and detect “dark” vessels and illegal activities, helping to prevent shipping disruptions.

India–US SeaVision cooperation strengthens near-real-time awareness, improving India capacity to anticipate and respond to maritime disruptions.

Building resilience against external economic shocks

Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) with Japan and Australia diversifies critical supply chains, reducing India's vulnerability to concentrated production networks.

Critical-mineral cooperation with Australia secures inputs clean-energy, electronics and strategic-technology sectors of India.

Shaping a regional order favourable to India’s interests

IPOI seven pillars enable India to address maritime security alongside connectivity, ecology, disaster resilience and Blue Economy, protecting broader conditions for economic growth.

Engagement through ASEAN, IORA and BIMSTEC strengthens ASEAN centrality, inclusive governance and Indian influence in its strategic neighbourhood.

Thus, India's Indo-Pacific initiatives seek to secure economic arteries, diversify connectivity, protect maritime access, strengthen supply-chain resilience and enhance regional influence.

Challenges to India’s Indo-Pacific Vision

Strategic competition and constrained strategic autonomy

China's growing naval presence in Indian Ocean and assertiveness in South China Sea Challenge Indian maritime interests, while regional partners economic dependence on China complicates strategic alignment.

Connectivity and economic integration deficits

Delays in IMT Trilateral Highway and Kaladan, limited India–ASEAN economic integration and supply-chain vulnerabilities constrain India ability to become a regional connectivity and production hub.

Maritime surveillance and resilience gaps

Dark shipping, illegal fishing, grey-zone activities and technological disparities strain regional MDA, while concentrated supply chains expose India to external economic shocks.

Way Forward

Promoting connectivity and economic resilience

Expediting IMTTH and Kaladan, improve IMEC viability, deepen ASEAN digital/UPI integration and diversify critical supply chains through SCRI and IPEF.

Strengthening technology-enabled maritime security

Integrating IPMDA, IFC-IOR and SeaVision, expand regional information-sharing and build partner capacity to detect dark shipping, illegal activities and grey-zone threats.

Strengthening inclusive and strategic partnerships

Strengthening ASEAN centrality, critical-mineral and clean-energy partnerships and expanding Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) engagement while maintaining strategic autonomy of India.

Conclusion

Strategic geography of India gives it both a stake and a responsibility in the Indo-Pacific. Its objective should be to evolve from a security stakeholder into a provider of regional public goods, combining maritime security with connectivity, economic resilience and sustainable development. A transparent maritime order, where information itself becomes a deterrent to coercion, can keep the Indo-Pacific economic arteries open and resilient, serving both India's interests and global prosperity.