Indian Naval Strategy in the Twenty First Century

Construed as expanding rings of expanding circles, India's maritime environs exhibit varying degrees of complexity and competitiveness. Each successive ring bears its own characteristics, opportunities, challenges and distinctive nuances. As India looks farther offshore, beyond its coastal or near-seas environment, it will encounter actors and forces that will neither bend wholly to its will nor reflexively push back. Contingency and context will thus characterise India's interactions with fellow maritime powers. Under such circumstances, subtlety and prudence at sea will be at a premium for Indian strategists (p.168).