Navigating the Impact of Geopolitical Competition on India’s Maritime Security in the Bay of Bengal

By : Shantesh Kumar Singh, Brijesh Chandra Srivastava

Page No: 229-240

Abstract
This paper analyses how India’s maritime security strategy concerning the Bay of Bengal is changing in response to growing geopolitical rivalries, especially with China. The Bay of Bengal, an important route for global trade and regional integration, has become a contentious area for infrastructure spending, naval power projection, and geopolitical influence. China’s expanding influence,demonstrated by its naval patrols, port projects, and diplomatic outreach to Bay littoral nations supported by the Belt and Road Initiative, has forced India to reevaluate its maritime defences. India has strengthened its alliances with countries, such as Japan, Australia, and Southeast Asian nations, through intelligence cooperation and joint exercises, increased navy modernisation, and extended coastal surveillance networks to offset these trends. The study examines how emerging dangers like climate-induced coastal erosion interact with traditional issues like illegal fishing and smuggling, creating complex security challenges. It evaluates India’s efforts to balance regional cooperation with safeguarding its national security interests through institutional and policy reforms. To bolster crisis management frameworks, promote regional trust, and to develop collective security mechanisms in the Bay of Bengal, the paper places India’s strategic decisions within the broader context of Sino-Indian rivalry and multilateral frameworks such as BIMSTEC.

Authors:
Shantesh Kumar Singh is Professor, Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Brijesh Chandra Srivastava is Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Deen Dyal Upadhyay College, University of Delhi, New Delhi.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JIOS.2025.33.02.6