ABSTRACT
India, a major power within its region, has become an important naval player too, expanding its reach and sphere of influence to shore up power in balance against adversaries, notably China, while also looking to secure resources and protect trade routes. Per its naval strategy, India conceives of itself as a net security provider and seeks to promote security and growth in its neighbourhood. Its involvement in Africa is long-standing and based, in part, on existing cultural relations with islands in the Western Indian Ocean, notably Mauritius and the Seychelles, which has naturally evolved into membership of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the establishment of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium. More recently, India has extended its diplomatic reach to West Africa, where it has a focus on energy security. This chapter will ruminate on India’s involvement in African maritime security by considering its historical naval links with African countries, its maritime strategic outlook, and the nature and extent of its maritime diplomacy in the Western Indian Ocean and continental Africa.
