9th Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius

At a recent Indian Ocean Conference, India highlights concerns over chokepoint vulnerabilities and stresses trusted partnerships. The discussions focus on strengthening resilience and cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.

Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) and IOR:

Dimension	Key Details
Indian Ocean Conference	Provides for a consultative forum started in 2016 by India Foundation in association with regional think tanks.
Participation	Comprises participation from more than 40 countries.
Focus	Provides for deliberation on regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region.
Indian Ocean Region	Comprises over 70 million square km, connects more than 35 littoral states, and hosts about 40% of global population.
Trade Importance	Provides for handling about 50% of global container traffic, one-third bulk cargo, and two-thirds oil shipments.
Strategic Value	Provides for presence of critical sea lanes and chokepoints including Strait of Hormuz.
India Maritime Profile	Provides for coastline of 11098.81 km and more than 1300 islands at key maritime crossroads.
Blue Economy	Provides for large Exclusive Economic Zones including India’s EEZ of about 2.4 million square km.
Ecological Feature	Provides for Indian Ocean being the warmest ocean and biologically productive region.
India Role	Comprises net security provider and first responder for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Geopolitical Challenges	Provides for increasing presence of extra-regional powers and strategic competition in the region.
Maritime Threats	Comprises piracy, terrorism, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and sea-lane disruptions.
Infrastructure Gaps	Provides for limitations in infrastructure and financing in several Indian Ocean Region countries.