1. India occupies a central and strategic location in the Indian Ocean.
2. Keeping the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace free from superpower rivalry is a major challenge in the Indian Ocean.
3. Most of the conflicts since the end of the Cold War have taken place in or around the Indian Ocean region. As a result, almost all the world’s major powers have deployed substantial military forces in the Indian Ocean region.
4. Expanding markets and larger import flows imply vulnerability at sea. Hence, the incidence of piracy, armed robbery and maritime terrorism are on the rise and has placed a premium on the complexity of Sea lane defence.
