India Blue Economy: challenges and opportunities
Abstract
The concept of the blue economy has emerged as a pivotal framework integrating economic growth, environmental sustainability, and maritime security. Since Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, India has actively leveraged the blue economy to strengthen its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific, reflecting a shift from a traditional maritime economy to a comprehensive geopolitical tool. This paper examines how India’s blue economy policies evolved under Modi’s leadership, emphasizing key initiatives such as SAGAR and the Sagarmala Program. These initiatives underscore India’s ambition to not only harness marine resources for economic growth but also to enhance regional stability and maritime governance. Despite its strategic importance, the development of the blue economy faces significant challenges, including marine pollution, overfishing, climate change, and infrastructure deficiencies. Moreover, geopolitical tensions, particularly with China, complicate regional cooperation, requiring India to balance economic aspirations with security concerns. India’s multilateral engagements—notably through the Quad, ASEAN, and BIMSTEC—demonstrate its commitment to safeguarding maritime trade routes, fostering sustainable marine resource management, and addressing security threats such as piracy and illegal fishing. This study employs a qualitative content analysis of official policy documents, international agreements, and academic literature to assess India's strategic use of the blue economy as a regional and global policy instrument. The findings suggest that while India has made considerable progress in advancing its maritime economy, future success will depend on enhanced regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, regional cooperation, and climate resilience measures. By adopting a holistic and sustainable approach, India can solidify its role as a leading maritime power in the Indo-Pacific, contributing to both economic prosperity and geopolitical stability.
References
Baruah, D. M., Labh, N., & Greely, J. (2023) Mapping the Indian Ocean Region. International Journal of Maritime Affairs, 12(1), 45–63.
Bhadauriya, D. V. S., & Mishra, D. K. (2023) Shaping the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean region: An analysis of India’s “Looking South” policy in the Modi era. International Journal of Economic and Knowledge Studies (IJEKS), 2(10), 78–92.
Congressional Research Service (2022) U.S. Ground Forces in the Indo-Pacific: Background and Issues for Congress, CRS Report R47096. August 30.
Dachi, E. Triono, Yurianto, M., & Purwanto (2023) The Indo-Pacific context: Maritime security challenges and diplomacy of ASEAN countries. International Journal of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 2(6), 45–57.
De Estrada, K. S. (2020) Putting the SAGAR Vision to the Test. Routledge.
Fudge, M. (2023) The blue economy: A global overview of sustainable ocean-based industries. Marine Policy, 151, 105611
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105611
Ghosh, N. (2023) Developing the blue economy requires collaborative effort. Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Report.
Ishikawa, K. (2021) The ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN economic integration. Journal of Contemporary East Asia Studies, 10(1), 24-41.
Kupriyanov, A. (2021) SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and IPOI (Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative): Shaping India's Security through Regional Development. Sravnitel'naya Politika, 4, 68–81
Juneja, Y. (2023, April 8) Diving into India’s blue economy: A sea of opportunities. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/diving-into-indias-blue-economy-a-sea-of-opportunities/
Kratiuk, B., Van Den Bosch, J., Jaskólska, A., & Sato, Y. (2023) Handbook of Indo-Pacific Studies (1st ed.). Routledge India.
Louey, P. (2022) The blue economy’s retreat from equity: A decade under global negotiation. Frontiers in Political Science, 4, 999571. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. (2018) Remarks by External Affairs Minister at the 3rd Indian Ocean Conference, Vietnam. https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches Statements.htm?dtl/30327/ _27_ 2018
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India. (2020) Maritime India Vision 2030. https://www.maritimevision2030.gov.in
Mistri, P., & Mistry, A. (2023) Blue economy: A sustainable development paradigm. In Bhaskar, B. and Biswajit, P. (eds) Sustainable Roadmap Development Strategies in India: Paving the Way for a Better Future. Lincoln University College, Malaysia. (pp. 58–70)
Modi, N. (2021, March 2) India sincere to emerge as leading blue economy of world: PM Modi. ANI News. https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/india-sincere-to-emerge-as-leading-blue-economy-of-world-pm-modi20210302122700/
Mohanty, S. K. (2024) Prospects of the blue economy in India: Emerging policy challenges and the way forward. Current Science, 126(2), 161–172.
Nakanishi, N. (2023) The Quad and the Global Commons (Doctoral dissertation, Johns Hopkins University).
Roy, A. (2019) Blue economy in the Indian Ocean: Governance perspectives for sustainable development in the region. Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Report.
Smith-Godfrey, S. (2016) Defining the blue economy. Maritime Affairs: Journal of the National Maritime Foundation of India, 12(1), 58–64. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Singh, S. (2024) Bridging boundaries: India’s neighborhood policy amidst internal and external challenges—A future perspective. ISARA Solutions.
Subhadarsani, S., Padhi, J., Rana, M., Behuria, L., Parida, P., Sahoo, D., Khuntia, S. R., Mahapatra, M., & Sahoo, J. P. (2024) Exploring India’s blue economy: Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable and resilient future. Journal of Indian Ocean Studies, 5(3), 253–269.
U.S. Department of Defense. (2019) Indo-Pacific strategy report. https://media.defense.gov/2019/Jul/01/2002152311/-1/-1/1/DEPARTMENT-OF-DEFENSE-INDO-PACIFIC-STRATEGY-REPORT-2019.PDF
Yanuarti, Indri; Wibisono, Makarim; Midhio, I Wayan. (2020). Strategi Kerja Sama Indo-Pasifik untuk Mendukung Pertahanan Negara: Perspektif Indonesia. Jurnal Strategi Pertahanan Semesta, 6(1), 41–70
- The contributor(s) (authors) warrant that the entire work is original and unpublished; it is submitted only to this Journal and all text, data, figures/tables or other illustrations included in this work are completely original and unpublished, and these have not been previously published or submitted elsewhere in any form or media whatsoever.
- The contributor(s) warrant that the work contains no unlawful or libelous statements and opinions and liable materials of any kind whatsoever, does not infringe on any copyrights, intellectual property rights, personal rights or rights of any kind of others, nor contains any plagiarized, fraudulent, improperly attributed materials, instructions, procedures, information or ideas that might cause any harm, damage, injury, losses or costs of any kind to person or property.
- The contributor(s) retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- The contributor(s) are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- The contributor(s) are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- Geography Research Forum may disseminate the content of the publications and publications’ Meta data in text, image, or other print and electronic formats to providers of research databases (e.g. EBSCO, GeoBase, JSTOR) to facilitate publications' exposure.
