The Indian Navy intends to build a second base in the Lakshodeep archipelago, located on the tanker route from the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz to the Strait of Malacca.

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H/T: Geopolitical Trends, w/Dr. David Oualaalou

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The Indian Navy will build a second base on the Lakshwadip archipelago, located on the way of tankers from the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz to the Strait of Malacca. This will strengthen security in the region, help Indian ships conduct operations against pirates and drug smuggling, Delhi said. In fact, the point is that India, which has a border dispute with China in the Himalayas, will be able to influence oil transportation across the Indian Ocean. In Hong Kong, the report about the base is called a response to the fact that the pro-Chinese president of the Maldives is expelling the Indian military.

According to the newspaper The South China Morning Post, the case is in the presence of 89 Indian military specialists in the Maldives, helping to maintain boats, an airplane and two helicopters previously transferred by India to the island state. 

Several Indian military medics also worked in the Maldives. And so Mohamed Muizzou, the pro-Chinese president of the Maldives who won last year’s election, promised to expel Indian military personnel. 

And we are not talking about a complete break in relations between giant India and the island state. Perhaps Indian military specialists will be replaced by civilians. Nevertheless, Delhi did not ignore Muizz’s attempt to reorient politics to Beijing. 

It turns out that a small neighboring country, famous for its beaches, can turn into a satellite of the PRC. Delhi responded to this prospect at the highest level. None other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Lakshwadip Archipelago, which has the status of a union territory of India, in January. He even took scuba diving lessons from his sailors. This gesture can, of course, be taken as an unequivocal hint to the Maldives that they should not overdo it about rapprochement with China. Moreover, the island on which the base will be built is located only about 258 km south of the Maldives. 

On the other hand, it is not difficult to see economic implications here. After all, Indians (along with Russians) previously made up the bulk of tourists in the Maldives. Now the prime Minister is sending a very obvious message to his tourists: enjoy great beaches and landscapes on land that belongs to India. 

The question is, is the Indian-Chinese rivalry in the Indian Ocean more a fantasy of idle commentators or a reality? Speaking to NG, Vinay Shukla, an Indian expert, said: “The Lakshwadip Archipelago occupies an important strategic position on the way to the Strait of Malacca. India’s desire to control these waters to some extent is understandable. But the conflict with China with the support of the United States, of course, will not come. No one wants to get involved in the war. In addition, China can receive oil from Iran via onshore pipelines through Central Asia and Pakistan. 

India is aware that it would be vulnerable to a conflict with China. After all, Chinese long-range missiles aimed at India are located high in the mountains in Tibet. In addition, India is interested in supplying its goods to Europe via the Northern Sea Route. Moscow promised to support this in every possible way. Part of the first section of the route will run from Chennai to Vladivostok and further north. But the route will also pass through the South China Sea, which is largely controlled by China. An escalating dispute between India and China would make the Northern Sea Route option impossible.” 

It may be said that India still has a route through the Suez Canal. But attacks from Yemen on ships in the Red Sea are once again forcing the government to think about the benefits of the Northern Sea Route, Shukla concluded. 

The Indian newspaper The Economic Times writes that the war in Gaza and the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea prevent the normal transportation of oil from the Middle East, which accounts for more than 30% of the world’s production of this raw material. However, the International Energy Agency predicts that China, India and Brazil will remain the top oil importers in 2024.

‘No Indian Troops In Maldives, Even In Civilian Clothing From May 10,’ Says President Mohamed Muizzu