ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the sources of India's growing naval profile that many find somewhat out of character for India, long seen as rigidly non-aligned and preoccupied with the defence of its long and contested land borders with Pakistan and China. It scrutinises the many factors that complicate and limit the effectiveness of India's naval engagement in the Indian Ocean and beyond. It then deals with India's turn towards military isolationism in the early decades after independence and the renewal of defence engagement, especially the naval one, after the Cold War. The chapter reviews the specific unfinished policy transitions that limit the effectiveness of India's naval diplomacy. The rising profile of the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific and Delhi's adoption of military diplomacy as an integral part of its external engagement have helped reinforce the perception that India is a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond.
