India, June 25 -- Naval diplomacy has emerged as a pillar of India's external engagements. While conventionally regarded as a military arm, the navy is increasingly assuming a greater role as a diplomatic actor. This brief underlines three trends in India's naval diplomacy in the Indian Ocean, shaped by its broader political outlook in the region. First, there has been a normative shift in how India views the role of the navy. Second, India's bilateral engagements with its maritime neighbours are expanding, especially during times of crisis. Third, there is a marked effort in deploying the navy to engage with stakeholders on specific issues in multilateral and minilateral forums.

The maritime domain, and the Indian Ocean in particular, h...