India’s thrust into Indo-Pacific islands goes far beyond

The airstrip Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated in Ageleg, Mauritius, with his counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, symbolises India’s massive outreach to the island nations in the Indo-Pacific region and the long runway this outreach has going forward.

This approach is still in a state of evolution, involving a combination of defence outreach and humanitarian as well as development assistance. Away from the headlines of the jetty and the air strip is the leveraging of India’s strong diaspora presence in these islands.

India’s Islands strategy is aimed at securing the country’s maritime interests, countering growing Chinese influence, and ultimately projecting Delhi as a leading regional power.

That Jugnauth is a person of Indian origin and that India also launched for Mauritius ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ that allows the sourcing of about 250 high-quality medicines from the pharmaceuticals and medical devices bureau of India at concessional rates highlights the multiple layers that Indian island outreach policy operates at.

The geopolitical canvases of India’s islands outreach encompass the vast expanse of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These islands are outposts that open up vast geographies. They straddle critical sea lanes, chokepoints, and rich marine resources. As the Indian Navy has acquired blue water status, these islands have been the focus of a renewed strategic interest. The ocean’s inherent value and its growing intersection with geopolitical rivalries have spurred India to develop a more robust maritime strategy, central to which is nurturing the numerous island nations dotting this oceanic theatre.

The fruits of India’s island outreach have not happened all of a sudden. There has been a long-term approach followed by the Indian external affairs ministry and turbo charged by political capital invested by PM Modi. India initiated the forum for India-Pacific islands cooperation back in 2014, and PM Modi’s visit to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea underlined India’s commitment at the highest levels.

In the case of Mauritius, there is mutual interest in strengthening security and the strategic significance of the partnerships underscored by India’s defence-related activities on Agaléga Islands. Developing infrastructure on these islands allows India to project power further into the Indian Ocean and serves as a symbol of India’s intent to become a more significant maritime security provider. India has cultivated close ties with Mauritius based on historical connections and the presence of a significant Indian diaspora on the island. This relationship has seen substantial progress in the defence realm through regular naval exercises, training programmes, and the establishment of key infrastructure projects. India has already put in place a Coast Guard radar and surveillance network to enhance the Mauritian maritime domain awareness. This project serves the dual purpose of boosting Mauritian defence capabilities and providing India with greater strategic visibility in the Western Indian Ocean.

When you have an ambitious forward strategy at play, there are bound to be drawbacks. Maldives is an example. In the trajectory of India’s island strategy, Maldives has been a nose dive. Traditionally, India enjoyed extensive influence in the Maldives on the back of a generous cheque-book and a robust military presence. However, the Muslim majority nation has politics of its own and India has been shown the door more or less. The change of government in the island nation saw increased Chinese outreach and investment, significantly eroding India’s influence. While India has made attempts to revive its relationship with the Maldives, events surrounding Chinese presence there have served as a reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in India’s island engagement. India has shown the carrot to its island partners it’s important to use the stick for Male. Not doing so will set a wrong precedence. India is the Maldives’ closest major supplier. Food staples like rice and wheat, essential medicines, and even fuel for power generation come primarily from India. The proximity and established trade routes make India a natural choice. Additionally, India provides medical evacuations and training for Maldivian personnel. It’s time to stop the supplies. Geography matters and Chinese supplies will cost at least twice over and will not be on generous terms. India needs to let Maldives know that there are costs to empty bluster.

At the same time, it needs to suppress Maldives, India is doing well to bypass it. Mauritius is just one example. India is working with partners of the Quad where it has refuelling arrangements but the most important island outreach is with France. Here France’s blood-stained colonial past is an asset for India. France rings the Indo pacific with colonial possessions and deep legacy relationships as far flung as Seychelles, Madagascar, and Comoros the Reunion islands — and many others. Force de Frappe is riding the surfs with India’s island entente.

From Mauritius to Fiji a liquid Indian footprint is entering a brave new age. However, for that to be sustained India has to spend more on defence, at least three percent of the GDP so that it has money to back its overseas commitments. As things stand, it is a bit of a stretch for the Indian armed forces to guard India. The new role takes it way beyond the littoral.

The writer is a senior journalist with expertise in defence. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.