Why is maritime security vital to protect India’s sea trade? Discuss maritime and coastal security challenges and the way forward.

Q20. Why is maritime security vital to protect India’s sea trade? Discuss maritime and coastal security challenges and the way forward. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

India’s geostrategic location, with a 11,098 km coastline, 12 major and 200+ minor ports, and dependence on sea routes for 95% of trade by volume and 70% by value, makes maritime security a national priority. As a net importer of energy and an aspiring global trading hub, securing sea lines of communication (SLOCs) is vital for India’s economic stability.

Importance of Maritime Security for India’s Sea Trade

• Energy Security
  • Over 85% of India’s crude oil and nearly 50% of natural gas (LNG) imports arrive by sea.
  • Any disruption in maritime routes like the Strait of Hormuz can cripple India’s energy supply, directly impacting inflation, industrial production, and national growth.
• Trade Facilitation
  • Around 95% of India’s trade by volume and 70% by value moves through maritime routes.
  • Critical exports such as IT hardware, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products require secure, uninterrupted sea lines of communication (SLOCs).
  • Even a short disruption can cause huge losses to exporters and erode India’s competitiveness in global supply chains.
• Strategic Location
  • India’s central position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) places it close to key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, and Malacca Strait.
  • These chokepoints carry nearly two-thirds of global oil shipments. Maritime insecurity here directly impacts India’s and global energy markets.
  • Protecting these routes is also crucial for India’s ambition to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific.
• Blue Economy Growth
  • India’s 7,500 km coastline and 2.4 million sq. km Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) offer vast opportunities in fisheries, shipping, offshore energy, seabed mining, and coastal tourism.
  • The blue economy is estimated to contribute significantly to India’s GDP in the coming decades.
  • Without secure seas, investments in port infrastructure, marine resources, and ocean-based industries would be at risk.

Maritime & Coastal Security Challenges

• Piracy and Sea Robbery: Somali piracy (2008–2012) highlighted vulnerabilities of Indian shipping. While reduced, piracy is resurging in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.
• Chokepoint Vulnerabilities: Dependence on strategic waterways like the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, and Malacca Strait makes India’s trade vulnerable to blockades or conflicts.
• Terrorism and Coastal Infiltration: The 26/11 Mumbai attacks exposed gaps in coastal surveillance. Fishing boats are often exploited for infiltration and arms smuggling.
• Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing: Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean and foreign trawlers near Andaman threaten marine biodiversity and fishermen’s livelihoods.
• Smuggling and Narco-Terrorism: Drugs and arms trafficking through maritime routes finance organized crime and terrorism. Eg: 3,000 kg heroin seized at Mundra Port (2021).
• Climate and Environmental Risks: Rising sea levels, cyclones, and coastal erosion threaten ports, shipping, and fishing communities.
  • E.g., Oil spills (like MV Rak, 2011 near Mumbai) damage ecosystems and trade routes.
• Geopolitical Challenges: Growing Chinese naval presence through the “String of Pearls” strategy (Gwadar, Hambantota, Djibouti) challenges India’s dominance.
  • Increasing QUAD–China tensions highlight the strategic contest in IOR.
• Institutional Gaps: Overlapping jurisdictions between Navy, Coast Guard, coastal police, and port authorities create coordination challenges.
  • Small mechanised fishing boats remain outside effective radar coverage.

Way Forward

• Strengthening Legal and Institutional Frameworks: Enact a Comprehensive Maritime Security Act integrating anti-piracy, smuggling, and counter-terrorism measures.
• Strengthen Coastal Infrastructure: Fast-track Sagarmala, Bharat Mala, Sagarmala Seaplane projects.
• Integrated surveillance: Expand Coastal Radar Network, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), National Command Control Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) network.
• Capacity building: Modernise Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Police.
• Countering Geopolitical Threats: Expand naval presence in the IOR, operationalise Andaman & Nicobar Command as a regional hub, and deepen QUAD–EU–ASEAN cooperation.
• Community engagement: Empower fishermen as “eyes and ears” of coastal security.
• Port and Shipping Resilience: Develop green and climate-resilient ports with disaster management systems.
• Blue Economy and Sustainability: Invest in offshore wind, seabed minerals, and sustainable fisheries while enforcing strict anti-IUU regimes.

Maritime security is the backbone of India’s economic prosperity, energy security, and strategic autonomy. A robust multi-layered maritime strategy—combining hard security (naval power), technology (surveillance, AI, UAVs), diplomacy (SAGAR, QUAD), and community engagement—is the way forward to secure India’s maritime lifelines and consolidate its role as a leading Indian Ocean power.

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