Indian Ocean Region is fast becoming a competing ground between regional and extra-regional powers. The option for India is to either retain strategic autonomy by building hard power or allow the space to be encroached upon by the extra-regional powers. Global community is aware of the strategic importance of India in the Indian Ocean Region and recognises the fact that partnership with India is imperative to shape the future of this region. It is an obligation that India begins to look at IOR as a strategic strength which needs to be further consolidated and complemented by building military capability with ‘regional outlook’. The book addresses various issues with regard to capability building and employment of such a military power to protect national strategic interests and its obligation towards regional allies. As threats are multiplying, it is a necessity that India builds power projection capability in a phased manner to achieve its national objectives and also meet regional aspirations.

About the author

Brig Narender Kumar was commissioned in the MADRAS regiment in 1983. He is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He was part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka and later commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. He has served as an instructor at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), Gulmarg, and the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), Bhutan. The officer has also served as a Military Observer in the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eretria. He was Senior Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in 2009-10. Presently he is with the Assam Rifles.