Indian Ocean News

When INS Airavat reached Madagascar’s northern shores, it carried not only disaster relief stores but a message that India was prepared to act as a dependable first responder in the Western Indian Ocean. 

SMART is a next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to enhance the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy far beyond the conventional range of a lightweight torpedo.

Every day, more than 1,000 commercial vessels are dealing with GPS positions that jump unpredictably—sometimes placing tankers over Iranian ports, other times locating cargo ships deep inside the Omani desert or near city-centers along the Gulf coast.  

As a “Preferred Security Partner”, the Indian Navy has opted to export “sovereignty”—providing patrol platforms, surveillance capabilities, and intelligence infrastructure that allow states such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Mozambique to police their waters and withstand extra-regional pressures. 

India has already invested heavily in this space through deployments, information sharing and cooperative patrols.

Trump’s revival of 'Monroe Doctrine' to assert power in thea Western Hemisphere through actions like operation absolute reslove in Venezuela and Greenland annexation bid. The dominance has extended to the Indian Ocean, with Trump criticising the UK-Mauritius Chagos deal, eying US dominance around the globe, countering Russia in the Arctic with 'Golden Dome' and China in the Indian Ocean with Diego Garcia, expanding footprints beyond Western Hemisphere.

India’s naval diplomacy at Colombo reflects a proactive approach — meeting influence with influence, presence with presence.

Over the last few years, Gulf navies have moved towards more structured, recurring interaction with the Indian Navy.

China has deployed three spy ships near the Andaman Islands, raising serious concerns for India’s upcoming BrahMos missile test, as the vessels gather intelligence on sea, submarine and air activities in the region.

For India and other Indian Ocean states, the lesson is clear. China’s strategy in the Horn is not driven by chaos, but by timing. It doesn’t provoke instability; it waits for it. And once the region is distracted, divided, or financially strained, Beijing inserts itself in a way that appears to be helpful but operates like leverage.

On 2 November 2025, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the communication satellite GSAT-7R (code-name CMS-03), specifically built for the Indian Navy. 

In the western Indian Ocean, analysts increasingly describe this as a hybrid threat: illicit networks that generate profit, destabilise governance, and serve the strategic interests of state-aligned actors.

Top Indian officials have strongly condemned Admiral Ashraf’s visit, terming it a deliberate attempt to project military assertiveness in disputed maritime zones.

The ships of the First Training Squadron (1TS) of the Indian Navy, comprising INS Tir, INS Shardul, and CGS Sarathi, arrived at Port Victoria, Seychelles, and received a grand ceremonial welcome, an official said on Tuesday.

The Indian Navy on June 18 inducted INS Arnala - the pioneering Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft- in its fleet, thus flexing muscles against Chinese and Pakistani submarine threats. 

The INS Surat, carrying the rescued crew members who sustained injuries in the vessel fire, arrived at the New Mangalore Port Authority, Panambur, earlier.

MV WAN HAI 503 was on passage from Colombo to Nhava Sheva, according to the Indian Coast Guard PRO. 

Reports suggest that the Maldives government is in discussions with China to deploy fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the Indian Ocean, raising concerns about the potential strategic implications. 

The U.S. maintains a strategic military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, a territory claimed by Mauritius but controlled by the U.K. The base plays a crucial role in global military operations, despite ongoing legal and diplomatic controversies.