ABSTRACT
In the twenty-first century, the Indian Ocean has become the focus of unprecedented number of challenges and opportunities. The Indian Ocean had to adapt to unfolding historic events such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and others. Today, several activities take place in the Indian Ocean and they all somehow start with resources such as sulfides, nodules, hydrocarbon, energy, and others. But beyond this are attempts of access to the Indian Ocean as it is an important transit route for trade.
Man has been closely associated with the sea. Sixty percent of the world's largest cities are located within 50 km of the sea and two-thirds of the world population lives within 80 km of the coast. The Indian Ocean region (IOR) is a particularly highly populated developing region. Can we afford to ignore this vast region? The symbiotic relationship endowed by geography, which India shares with the Indian Ocean, is the one that underlies its dominant geostrategic position in the region. The Indian Ocean bestows India with a distinct maritime destiny and also confers it with extensive responsibility because of vast maritime frontiers.
