Description
As the largest resident naval power in the Indian Ocean, India has on various occasions contributed to regional order. It has responded to political crises in the neighbourhood, provided humanitarian aid in the face of natural disasters, and security to the international sea lines of communication. However, the capacity to play a role of ‘net security provider’ has been limited due to resources as well as political constraints. Of late, with the emergence of international coalitions such as the Quad, mini-lateral groupings like RIC (Russia-India-China trilateral), as well as deepening bilaterals with key players (US, France, Japan, Australia, Vietnam), India is increasingly embedded in overlapping and cross-cutting security arrangements, of varying degrees of institutionalisation. In this paper, the relationship between domestic politics and international institutions will be explored to examine the delicate balancing act that India continues to pursue between hedging, engaging and balancing against China in the Indo-Pacific.
