Indian Security Strategy in South Asia: From the security dilemma to the expansion into Indo-Pacific

Abstract

This study addresses the Indian security strategy in South Asia under the threats posed by the security environment, such as regional conflicts, nuclear proliferation, the COVID-19 virus and the resulting Chinese polarization of small States in the region, as well as the developments of the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan and the geostrategic vacuum that will require India to adopt new security arrangements. The study aims to analyze this strategy and highlight the impact of Indian territorial ambition on the expansion of the geographical vicinity towards Indo Pacific, and the possibility of breaking the security dilemma in South Asia. The analytical approach was used to understand the Indian security strategy and its dimensions in South Asia. The study concluded that India was seeking to resolve territorial disputes affecting its economic rise, secure sovereignty against Chinese economic enterprises, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, and play a role of the regional dominant in South Asia after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The study also found that India’s ability to control regional security stability would allow it to be a naval force in the Indo Pacific, a new space in which competition for energy security and geostrategic influence is emerging. Keywords: Security strategy, India, south Asia, security dilemma, indo-pacific