India’s evolving approach to the Indo-Pacific should place greater emphasis on Oceania, a region of rising economic, diplomatic, and geostrategic relevance. However, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges. It is important to recognise that for India, the Indian Ocean region is not a strategy in and of itself but is rather, a strategic […]
Background Despite its rich tradition of shipbuilding, a well-established ship-building ecosystem, and a favourable geographic location, India currently ranks 16thin the global shipbuilding industry with a paltry 0.06% share in the global shipbuilding market that is dominated by China, Japan, and South Korea, which taken in aggregate, account for 95% of the global […]
Ms Arijita Sinha Roy, Research Associate at the National Maritime Foundation, participated in the ROK Emerging Scholars Seminar organised by the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) under the Global South Think Tank Partnership Program on 22 April 2026 in New Delhi. The seminar brought together scholars and policy researchers to assess the progress […]
A recent workshop held in Mombasa brought together representatives from over 20 countries, international organisations, and think tanks to exchange perspectives on maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean. A key area of discussion was the operationalisation of the DCoC/JA Working Group 3 (WG3), currently chaired by Kenya, focusing on enhancing operational cooperation and coordination […]
Captain RS Sawan, Senior Fellow at the National Maritime Foundation, participated in a workshop on maritime cooperation and coordination in the Western Indian Ocean held in Mombasa from 14 to 17 April 2026. The workshop was organised by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies and brought together senior practitioners, policymakers, and experts to examine effective […]
Making Waves’ is a compilation of maritime news and news analyses drawn from national and international online sources. Drawn directly from original sources, minor editorial amendments are made by specialists on maritime affairs. It is intended for academic research, and not for commercial use. NMF expresses its gratitude to all sources of information, which are […]
India’s engagement with the seas has historically extended beyond trade and naval power, encompassing and incorporating culture, mobility, and exchange. Despite this, contemporary policy continues to treat the maritime domain primarily through the lenses of security, logistics, and port-led development. Tourism — particularly maritime tourism — remains underdeveloped as a strategic sector notwithstanding […]
Establishing Background India presently aspires to invoke its civilisational oceanic heritage to be a leading maritime power, projecting influence in multiple dimensions of cooperation across the Indo-Pacific. Yet, its institutions remain structurally, if not inherently, sea-blind. India’s prospects in the maritime domain, particularly those which require a strong resonance with a maritime […]
Abstract This article examines the tenuous cross-Strait dynamics under the shadow of China’s sustained military and grey-zone coercion against Taiwan and the attendant risks to regional peace and global maritime stability. It situates contemporary PLA brinkmanship within the broader geopolitical contestations of the western Pacific. It further evaluates the strategic linkages drawing Japan […]
The National Maritime Foundation hosted Captain Hiroyuki Kosuga, Outgoing Naval Attaché at the Embassy of Japan, for a professional interaction, alongside the introduction of the incoming Naval Attaché, Captain Nakanishi Ryota of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The interaction was attended by Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, AVSM & Bar, VSM (Retd), Director-General of the […]
Note: This paper was penned just prior to the outbreak of hostilities in the Persian Gulf on 28 February 2026. The security landscape stretching from West Asia to the Eastern Mediterranean is undergoing a quiet but consequential reconfiguration. Expanding defence coordination among key Sunni-majority states, periodic discussions around an “Islamic NATO”, the […]
Mineral resources underpin industrial economies and technological progress and are indispensable to the energy transition, enabling the production of solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage technologies. Some of these mineral resources have been officially classified as ‘critical’ not only due to their role in the economic development and national security of the country but […]