INDIA–INDONESIA MARITIME CONVERGENCE IN THE INDO-PACIFIC: STRATEGIC COOPERATION, REGIONAL SECURITY, AND THE RULES-BASED ORDER

Abstract

Abstract.
The paper examines the strategic convergence between India and Indonesia in shaping the evolving maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. As two key littoral states with shared historical, geopolitical, and geoeconomic interests, their partnership remains central to maintaining regional stability amidst intensifying great power competition, asymmetric threats, and challenges to international law in contested maritime zones. Using qualitative content analysis of policy documents, regional frameworks, and scholarly literature, the study analyses how India’s maritime posture, through mechanisms including the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, BIMSTEC, and the Quad, reinforces its commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific anchored in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The analysis incorporates empirical developments involving global energy and supply chain disruptions, conflict spillovers from Europe and West Asia, and the growing use of maritime technologies in hybrid warfare. The study situates these developments within a theoretical framework that regards maritime domains as shared spaces requiring collective governance. The findings highlight the significance of multilateral cooperation, trust-building, and strategic self-reliance, particularly through India–Indonesia collaboration, to uphold a rules-based maritime order and secure the Indo-Pacific’s future.