ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an investigation of the origins of non-state actors. It analyses how these threats manifest themselves, and offers a brief, overall assessment of what these threats imply for India's maritime security. Globalization and the information revolution have profoundly changed geopolitics by empowering individuals and groups to act across international political boundaries. The United States is likely to remain the pre-eminent global power during this period. Non-state threats to maritime security are one manifestation of such contests. Non-state actors could act in isolation, in coordination and as part of a broader strategic plan. Protecting the global commons, and India's interests in such domains, should enter India's maritime doctrine. Similarly, the Indian Navy must undertake structural and cultural changes to ensure that the constabulary role receives due emphasis. International conflict is already a clash of convictions: it is as important to win in the court of domestic and international public opinion as it is to win in battle.
