Context
India has been actively engaged in military international relations by a chain of high-profile exercises and events with several countries.
About Defence diplomacy
- It is the usage of defence-associated instruments and activities in a cooperative and non violent way to help foreign and strategic policy.
- India’s defence diplomacy now extends beyond the Indian Ocean.
- It is engaging international regions in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Guinea region.
- India is intensifying its local defense international relations and partnerships, aiming to bolster its presence in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.
- India’s defence international relations is driven through China’s assertiveness, specifically in the South China Sea.
Recent Developments
- Increased Military Engagement: India conducted 75 joint military exercises activities with associate countries in 2023, a great growth from previous years.
- These exercises include bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral formats, with a developing number of local and international partners.
- Focus on Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean: India’s military exercises in 2023 featured first-time naval exercises with Thailand, ASEAN and EU member states, and maritime partnerships with Indonesia, Australia, France, and the UAE.
- The Indian Navy’s port calls and exercises have accelerated, with extraordinary submarine visits to Australia, Indonesia, and Singapore.
- Strategic: India’s extended defense function and partnerships are aimed toward countering China’s developing impact.
- India’s moves consist of joint patrols and maritime cooperation with countries like Australia and France, reflecting a broader attempt to set up itself as a key security partner in the region.
- India has been energetic in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, responding to disasters within the Indian Ocean region and past.
Issues
- India procures defence structures from abroad to deal with national security challenges, particularly because of its limited domestic technological and industrial base.
- India nonetheless lacks institutionalized mechanisms for completely leveraging defence international relations to achieve foreign policy dreams, relying specifically on traditional diplomatic methods.
- As India deepens its military engagement with regional and global powers, it can exacerbate the competitive dynamic with China.
- India is increasing its military diplomatic presence in the new region, there are issues about the impact of decreasing Defense Attachés in key places like Moscow, where India’s defense ties with Russia are particularly considerable.
Conclusion and Way Forward
- India has strengthened defense ties with West Asian countries amid converting local dynamics, along with the Abraham Accords and China’s developing effect.
- India is leveraging its defense capabilities to strengthen regional diplomacy, construct partnerships, and counteract Chinese affect within the Indo-Pacific.
- Sustaining those efforts will require sustained investment in naval, expeditionary, and logistical capacities.
- Now India’s security international relations emphasizes self-reliance in indigenization and equipment improvement.
- Therefore assisting Indian defense industries and promoting exports make contributions to strategic autonomy is crucial and collaborative security features, joint exercises, and information sharing are also crucial additives.
Source: The Hindu