{"id":61530,"date":"2025-12-13T16:56:43","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T11:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=61530"},"modified":"2025-12-16T18:02:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T12:32:33","slug":"indian-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/13-12-2025\/indian-ocean","title":{"rendered":"The Indian Ocean As Cradle of a New Blue Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy\/ Resources, GS3\/ Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India must revive its leadership role in shaping the governance, sustainability, and security architecture of the Indian Ocean, guided by the principle <strong>\u201cFrom the Indian Ocean, for the World.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This comes at a time when:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>climate crisis<\/strong> is intensifying stresses on marine ecosystems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Global attention to oceans is rising through COP30, UNOC3, and new blue finance commitments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India is positioned to drive a <strong>cooperative, sustainable, and inclusive ocean agenda.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s historical role in Ocean Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>During <strong>UNCLOS negotiations (1970s\u201380s)<\/strong>, India sided with small island nations to promote the \u201c<strong>common heritage of humankind\u201d principle<\/strong> for seabed resources beyond national jurisdiction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This echoes Jawaharlal Nehru&#8217;s vision of the ocean&#8217;s centrality to <strong>India&#8217;s security and prosperity.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perhaps, India has long projected itself as a <strong>maritime nation as well as a maritime leader.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rising Pressure on Oceans<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Indian Ocean is increasingly <strong>threatened by<\/strong> <strong>climate-induced challenges<\/strong> like ocean warming, acidification, rising sea levels, and illegal fishing, presenting India with a strategic chance to spearhead regional solutions and <strong>geopolitical rivalries in the Indo-Pacific<\/strong> (China\u2019s naval presence, U.S.-China competition).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Blue Ocean Strategy: Three Pillars<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Indian Ocean is increasingly <strong>threatened by<\/strong> <strong>climate-induced challenges<\/strong> like ocean warming, acidification, rising sea levels, and illegal fishing, presenting India with a strategic chance to spearhead regional solutions and <strong>geopolitical rivalries in the Indo-Pacific<\/strong> (China\u2019s naval presence, U.S.-China competition).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"b7d0d2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/blue-ocean-1024x559.png\" alt=\"blue ocean strategy\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-61531\" style=\"--dominant-color: #b7d0d2; aspect-ratio:1.8318737860769414;width:460px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/blue-ocean-1024x559.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/blue-ocean-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/blue-ocean-768x419.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/blue-ocean-1536x838.png 1536w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/blue-ocean.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Key Developments in 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Blue Economy and Finance Forum (Monaco): <\/strong>At the forum held in Monaco, governments, development banks, and private investors presented a strong pipeline of ocean-related investments worth \u20ac25 billion. They further announced new commitments amounting to \u20ac8.7 billion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>COP30 in Bel\u00e9m:<\/strong> At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/10-11-2025\/cop30-belem\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/10-11-2025\/cop30-belem\">COP30<\/a>, the Brazilian Presidency launched the \u201cOne Ocean Partnership.\u201d This initiative aims to mobilise $20 billion for ocean protection and sustainable ocean activities by the year 2030.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Development Bank of Latin America: <\/strong>The Development Bank of Latin America doubled its financial target for blue economy projects. It revised its earlier target and now plans to invest $2.5 billion by 2030.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Security Via Sustainability<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Beyond naval rivalries, environmental threats like <strong>IUU fishing, coral loss, and intensified storms erode livelihoods and stability in the Indian Ocean<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>And, India&#8217;s SAGAR doctrine<\/strong> integrates ecosystem health with maritime security through enhanced cooperation in domain awareness and disaster response.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India&#8217;s Leadership Imperative<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Echoing <strong>Indira Gandhi&#8217;s 1972 Stockholm ethos<\/strong>, India can leverage <strong>BBNJ ratification<\/strong> (effective 2026), UNOC3\/COP30\/G20 momentum, and IORA chairmanship to <strong>pioneer an Indian Ocean Blue Fund<\/strong>, green shipping, and blue bonds\u2014transforming pledges into sustainable prosperity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2026 is a pivotal year with the <strong>UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement<\/strong> (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), India&#8217;s role is to ratify the BBNJ Agreement &amp; utilize chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to push for green shipping corridors and blue bonds with guiding Principle of &#8220;From the Indian Ocean, for the World&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Institutional Leadership: <\/strong>India should work toward establishing mechanisms such as an Indian Ocean Sustainability and Security Council within IORA. It must also operationalise the Indian Ocean Blue Fund to support long-term regional projects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthening Regional Partnerships:<\/strong> India can deepen partnerships with small island developing states and African coastal nations. It should also use initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) to expand cooperation in areas such as marine ecology, resource management, and maritime security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Domestic Reforms:<\/strong> Modernising the fisheries sector, expanding marine protected areas, and improving coastal regulation frameworks are essential steps. India also needs stronger climate adaptation measures for its coastal populations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maritime Diplomacy:<\/strong> India should continue to promote the Indian Ocean as a space for cooperation. Its diplomatic approach must remain inclusive, respectful of sovereignty, and rooted in shared development goals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technology and Innovation:<\/strong> India can invest in technologies such as satellite-based ocean monitoring, AI-driven early warning systems, and green port infrastructure. Advancing marine biotechnology and responsible carbon sequestration research will further enhance India\u2019s leadership in sustainable ocean practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong>India must move from viewing the Indian Ocean primarily as a strategic theatre to viewing it as an ecological and developmental space.\u201d Discuss in light of recent global momentum in ocean governance and India\u2019s maritime initiatives.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/health\/us-fda-grants-approval-for-two-drugs-to-treat-gonorrhoea\/article70391924.ece?cx_testId=81&amp;cx_testVariant=cx_1&amp;cx_artPos=0&amp;cx_experienceId=EXPO56ZDYSGX&amp;cx_experienceActionId=showRecommendationsB9CPF6MJI8XY60#cxrecs_s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><strong><br><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Daily-Editorial-Analysis-13-12-2025.pdf\"><strong>Download PDF<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Published on:<\/strong> 13th December, 2025<\/p>\n<p>\nIndia must revive its leadership role in shaping the governance, sustainability, and security architecture of the Indian Ocean, guided by the principle \u201cFrom the Indian Ocean, for the World.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":61532,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/new-blue-economy.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61530"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61813,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61530\/revisions\/61813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}