Deepening Maritime Ties: India and Indonesia

Despite their geographic proximity and shared maritime interests, India and IndonesiaS collaborative maritime efforts have historically been relatively limited compared to their partnerships with other regional and global players.However, the evolving geopolitical landscape and increasing political alignment between New Delhi and Jakarta in recent years have prompted both nations to adopt a more proactive approach in maritime cooperation.

Recognizing the importance of safeguarding the Indo-Pacific region, India and Indonesia are increasingly focusing on strengthening their maritime security cooperation. This is exemplified by a significant upcoming deal: Indonesia is poised to acquire an estimated $450 million worth of brahmos missiles from India. This would make Indonesia the second ASEAN member state to procure these formidable 290-km range missiles, jointly manufactured by India and Russia. To facilitate this deal, india is reportedly considering extending a Line of Credit to Indonesia.

Building on a Longstanding Foundation

India-Indonesia naval cooperation traces its roots back to 1958 with an agreement encompassing training, naval officer exchanges, and joint exercises. Subsequent political shifts, however, hampered this engagement. It was India’s ‘Look East Policy’ in the 1990s that revived bilateral maritime collaboration. Indonesia’s participation in the MILAN naval exercise in 1995 marked a turning point, followed by the launch of the Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) initiative in 2002, primarily to address piracy in the Malacca Straits.

following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Indian Navy deployed ships to Aceh province in indonesia, providing life-saving assistance and medical aid. This solidified the bond between the two nations. In 2014, both countries’ leaderships prioritized maritime strategy, with President Joko Widodo’s ‘Global Maritime Fulcrum’ (GMF) and Prime Minister narendra Modi’s ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR) initiatives offering a strong framework for engagement.

Expanding the Scope of Cooperation

The 2016 bilateral summit led to a joint statement on maritime cooperation,culminating in a Complete Strategic partnership (CSP) in 2018. This was further strengthened by the launch of the samudra Shakti naval exercise, expanding the scope of cooperation to include maritime warfare and law enforcement.

“The maritime security partnership between India and Indonesia has made notable strides in recent years. Though, it is indeed now time to solidify the theoretical commitments and formal agreements into concrete actions,” emphasizes an expert on Indo-Pacific security. “With the current leadership in both nations and their shared maritime aspirations, strengthening this strategic partnership can considerably bolster mutual security goals and contribute to greater regional stability.”

Addressing Emerging Challenges

While naval engagements have increased, the depth of operational cooperation remains a challenge. The CORPAT initiative, originally focused on piracy and regional instability, needs to evolve to address contemporary threats such as cyber threats to maritime infrastructure, hybrid maritime security challenges, and China’s strategic gray-zone operations.

Despite a 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Coast Guard and Bakamla RI (Indonesian Coast Guard), implementation has been slow, limiting joint patrols and intelligence sharing. This contrasts with Indonesia’s growing engagement with China, which has expanded through port infrastructure investments and offshore energy exploration.

Connectivity and Economic Potential

A key facet of India-Indonesia maritime cooperation is connectivity. The 2018 launch of the Sabang Initiative and the Aceh-Andaman economic and tourism corridor aimed to bolster economic ties. India was tasked with developing the Sabang Port in northern Sumatra, facilitating trade and logistics between the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Indonesia’s Sumatra provinces. However, progress has been slow, mirroring India’s broader challenges in completing regional connectivity projects.

Further, while Indonesia welcomes investments in port infrastructure from various stakeholders, India has yet to secure significant maritime infrastructure projects in Indonesia. Unlike China, which actively funds and develops Indonesian ports under the belt and road Initiative (BRI), India’s engagement has remained at a conceptual stage.

Energy cooperation also presents an untapped potential. The India-Indonesia Energy Forum, launched in 2017, aimed to explore oil and gas collaborations, but no major joint projects have materialised. Given indonesia’s vast offshore energy reserves and India’s growing energy demands,deepening energy collaboration could be crucial to their maritime partnership.

Future Directions

There are several opportunities for India and Indonesia to reinforce their maritime cooperation:

• enhanced maritime law enforcement: A restructured CORPAT exercise incorporating active law enforcement drills, anti-drug smuggling operations, and counterterrorism exercises would effectively address contemporary security challenges.
• Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA): Despite geographical proximity, india and Indonesia lack a white-shipping details-sharing agreement. Expanding information exchange mechanisms would significantly enhance real-time maritime situational awareness.
• Integration with IFC-IOR: India’s Information Fusion Center for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) hosts liaison officers from various regional players,but Indonesia’s participation is yet to materialize. Integrating Indonesia into IFC-IOR would strengthen coordinated maritime monitoring efforts.
• Port development and logistics: India’s strategic port initiatives under SAGARMALA and Project MAUSAM could complement Indonesia’s GMF to develop critical logistics corridors and maritime infrastructure.
• cooperation in the blue economy: Enduring fishing practices,deep-sea mining exploration,and marine biodiversity conservation offer viable avenues for collaboration.

India and Indonesia have undeniably made considerable progress in recent years. However, translating diplomatic agreements into tangible actions is crucial. Both nations share strategic concerns regarding China’s maritime expansion and must proactively strengthen their maritime security infrastructure. Their shared vision of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-pacific provides a solid foundation for expanding bilateral engagement. Strengthening India-Indonesia maritime security and connectivity will not only enhance bilateral ties but also contribute to greater regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

What specific measure could be implemented to enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA) between India adn Indonesia?

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Deepening Maritime Ties: A Conversation with Indonesian Maritime affairs Coordinator, Professor Dr. Omar Salim