As the global power dynamics are witnessing a seismic shift, the Indian Ocean is considered as a center of gravity for the global power competition. It has become almost the talk of the town that the 21st century belongs to Asia, as this region is home to the thriving economies of the world. From Alfred Mahan to Robert D Kaplan, it has been continually predicted that the future of the global struggle for power will continue in the Indian Ocean.
Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean, and its unique features make it a strategic hotspot in the international arena. It is semi-closed, home to the world’s most critical choke points, like; straits of Hormuz, Malacca, Bab al-Mandab, and the world’s most strategic Sea Lines of Communications (SLOC). History shows that the straits in the Indian Ocean have timeless importance. The 16th century Portuguese diplomat and writer, Tome Pires, has called Malacca as the “gullet of the world”. Upon conquering the sultanate of Malacca, the Portuguese general, Afonso de Albuquerque writes, “Men cannot estimate the worth of Malacca, on account of its greatness and profit”. The rise of China and India, and their hunger for energy have forced them to shift their attention to the seas. The growing role of these two Asian giants, as the emerging maritime powers and the existing hegemon, the USA, has given........