ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to provide a better understanding not only of the Indian Maritime Doctrine but also of the larger context surrounding it. Doctrinal developments do not emerge from a vacuum, and are best understood from both a cultural and organizational perspective. It argues that in the Indian context, the nation's complex civil-military and inter-service relations are key to better gauging some of the motivations underlying the Maritime Doctrine. The naval thinking at the heart of its vision is a fascinating fusion of different concepts and traditions, which gives credence to the notion that India's true strength lies in its innate syncretism. Strategically minded and outward-looking, the Indian Navy could add a much-needed direction to India's slow drift towards great power status. The nation's largely khaki-clad military also needs to undergo a profound transformation, which helps give birth to a more harmonious civil-military relationship, while producing a rebalancing in favour of a more powerful navy.
