— Anudeep Gujjeti

(The Indian Express has launched a new series of articles for UPSC aspirants written by seasoned writers and scholars on issues and concepts spanning History, Polity, International Relations, Art, Culture and Heritage, Environment, Geography, Science and Technology, and so on. Read and reflect with subject experts and boost your chance of cracking the much-coveted UPSC CSE. In the following article, Anudeep Gujjeti reviews the evolution of the Indo-Pacific.)

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as a key geopolitical and strategic space, with India reaffirming its steadfast commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific region. The vision of India – a key player in the Indo-Pacific dynamics – emphasises cooperation with regional partners to uphold maritime security, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based international order.

Moreover, developments such as “Quad-at-sea Ship Observation Mission” to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety across the Indo-Pacific have put the focus on the Indo-Pacific Region as a geopolitical, economic and security construct amidst a constantly changing world order. 

In this context, it is important to understand the rise of the Indo-Pacific as a regional construct, the major players in the region, and the factors that led to the renewed significance of the region.

The Indo-Pacific is a geographical area that encompasses the regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, along with the countries surrounding them and the crucial waterways and marine resources. It also includes critical maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Malacca, Taiwan Strait, the Bab-al-Mandeb, Straits of Lombok and Sunda, the South China Sea, etc., which are vital for global trade and energy supply routes. 

However, the extent of what constitutes the Indo-Pacific or the geographical definition of the “Indo-Pacific” varies from state to state. India’s conception of the Indo-Pacific ranges “from the shores of Africa to that of the Americas” to be more inclusive as laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his keynote address to the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2018. 

The National Security Strategy (NSS), published under former US President Donald Trump in December 2017, defined the Indo-Pacific as “the region, which stretches from the west coast of India to the western shores of the USA”. 

The 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper of Australia defined the region as “ranging from the eastern Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean” including India, Southeast Asia, North Asia and the US. The “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” vision of Japan includes the eastern coast of Africa which includes Association of Southeast Asian or ASEAN countries, the Pacific Ocean littorals, the western coast of the North and South American continents. 

The varying interpretations of the Indo-Pacific region reflect the influence of national interests, particularly concerning security and economic priorities, in shaping strategic frameworks. As a result, the Indo-Pacific has emerged as a central arena for both competition and cooperation in the 21st century.

A cursory look at various security strategy documents, speeches and Defence White papers of different nations reveals that the idea of the Indo-Pacific as a geopolitical construct has evolved and institutionalised in the first two decades of the 21st century and more so in the last decade. This also represented a shift in the usage of terminology, i.e. from Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific by major powers in the region. 

Though the interest of major powers in the waters of the Indo-Pacific is not new, the shift and the renewed interest in having a wider and more inclusive regional construct can be attributed to the domestic, regional and systemic factors. Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister of Japan, was one of the early proponents of viewing the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean together to form a “broader Asia”. Abe articulated the idea in his landmark speech at the Indian Parliament titled “Confluence of the Two Seas”. 

Moreover, the “Pivot to Asia” policy unveiled by the US in late 2011 by former US President Barack Obama dwelled upon the early signs of a major shift in the policy towards the Pacific from the Middle East as it coincided with the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. 

In the past decade, shifting national interests have necessitated a shift in policy from the Asia-Pacific to the Indo-Pacific. This policy shift is essential to address the aggression of China, increasing threats to critical sea lanes of communication, and non-traditional security challenges. It was also important for the inclusion of India – a growing major power – into the policy frameworks of key global actors, particularly the US. 

A primary factor contributing to this transition was the convergence of strategic interests between India and the US, particularly during the tenure of the former US President Trump. During Trump’s presidency, the US prioritised a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” a policy framework designed to guarantee freedom of navigation, protect the rule of law, and foster regional stability. 

The Trump administration even adopted a National Security Strategy for the Indo-Pacific region in 2017, and renamed the U.S. Pacific Command to the US Indo-Pacific Command in 2018, formalising and institutionalising the concept of Indo-Pacific. This formalisation led policymakers to allocate resources and diplomatic attention to the region. 

As China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea increased, the necessity for a more comprehensive regional framework encompassing the Indian Ocean became apparent. India’s strategic position in the central Indian Ocean afforded it a crucial role in counterbalancing Chinese influence in the region. India’s strategic alignment with the US has further reinforced the Indo-Pacific notion. 

India, through its “Act East” policy, emerged as a natural partner in this vision, aiming to enhance collaboration with Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific, while mitigating Beijing’s growing influence. For the US the ‘Indo-Pacific” was primarily a strategic initiative and a way of responding to the rise of China’s aggression in all the domains. 

Simultaneously the strategic priorities vary among various actors. New Delhi’s transformation of “Look East” policy to “Act East Policy” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with India’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) policy is a key part of India’s vision for the Indo-Pacific. It is not an exclusive group of countries alienating others. 

Prime Minister Modi in his keynote address at the Shangri La Dialogue emphasised India’s inclusive involvement in the Indo-Pacific Region, stating that the region is not a strategic initiative or exclusive coalition and that a geographical definition should not be negatively asserting the centrality of ASEAN. This approach allows for a broad interpretation of the region.

Moreover, India’s approach to the region is rooted in its vast economic significance and strategic importance. The Indo-Pacific contributes approximately 62 per cent of the global GDP and accounts for 50 per cent of global trade. In addition, about 40 per cent of global oil shipments pass through key maritime routes in the Indo-Pacific. More importantly, 90 per cent of India’s trade and 80 per cent of its critical freight transit through these waters.

To sum up, the Indo-Pacific is not an exclusive region for addressing only traditional security concerns like military competition or territorial disputes. It holds immense potential to tackle a range of non-traditional security threats, such as climate change, maritime piracy, illegal fishing, natural disasters, and cybersecurity threats. 

In fact, the Indo-Pacific is emerging as a space for bilateral and multilateral groupings addressing economic, political, and security issues. Organisations like ASEAN, the quad, and mechanisms such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) show the region’s role as a space for economic integration, technology cooperation, and infrastructure development. 

For India, the Indo-Pacific construct represents a significant strategic arena. As the region evolves into a key driver of the changing world order, India is poised to play a major role. By engaging deeply in Indo-Pacific affairs, India not only secures its interests but also contributes to the creation of an inclusive, cooperative, and sustainable regional order.

What is the geographical scope of the Indo-Pacific region?

What are the critical maritime chokepoints in the Indo-Pacific, and why are they important?

How does the evolution of the Indo-Pacific affect global geopolitical dynamics, and what position does India hold within that framework?

In what ways can India’s involvement in the Indo-Pacific contribute to a cooperative and sustainable regional order?

(Anudeep Gujjeti is Research Associate at the Council for Social Development, Hyderabad.)

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