BLUE ECONOMY AND STRATEGIC COMPETITION IN THE INDO-PACIFIC: INDIA'S MARITIME DIPLOMACY VS. CHINA'S

The Indo-Pacific has become the focal point of global power competition, where economic, strategic, and environmental interests intersect. Within this evolving arena, the idea of the Blue Economy—linking sustainable ocean development with strategic influence—has gained new significance. This paper examines the growing maritime rivalry between India and China, focusing on how both countries use ocean diplomacy to shape the regional order. The main research question asks: How does India’s approach to the Blue Economy differ from and respond to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the Indo-Pacific? Existing studies largely analyse the BRI as an infrastructure project or India’s Indo-Pacific strategy as part of broader regional security debates. This paper offers a new perspective by linking the Blue Economy to India’s maritime diplomacy and assessing it as a tool of strategic balancing rather than mere economic cooperation. It argues that India’s initiatives such as Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) represent an alternative model of inclusive, sustainable maritime engagement that counters China’s connectivity-based power projection. The study highlights how India’s success in promoting this vision will shape not only its own strategic identity but also the future stability and governance of the Indo-Pacific.