Sohini Nayak
The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as a focal point of global geopolitical and geoeconomic dynamics in the 21st century. 1 Interestingly, in the 1920s, German geopolitical scholar Karl Haushofer introduced the term Indo-Pacific in his publication “Indopazifischen Raum.” He analysed the structure of political oceanography, advocating for the Indo-Pacific as a distinct natural region. Two decades later, Kalidas Nag employed the term in his 1941 work, “India and the Pacific World.” 2 As argued by Saroj Bishoyi in the article “Geostrategic Imperative of the Indo-Pacific Region: Emerging Trends and Regional Responses,” the Indo-Pacific comprises a unified collection of maritime areas and coastal regions characterised by rich cultural, ethnic, religious, economic, and governance diversity. The ocean is the common element that connects the various subsystems within the Indo-Pacific. 3 Consequently, the domain has also garnered a reputation as a theatre of geopolitical contestation and great-power rivalry, with major powers vying to hold ground over maritime territory, sovereignty, and resources, including natural resources, energy, and international trade. The geographical delimitation of the Indo-Pacific strategic locus stretches from the eastern shores of Africa through the Indian Ocean and to the western Pacific Ocean. It hosts an array of island nations with unique geostrategic significance, attracting the attention of major global powers. Their geographical positioning grants them significant control over critical maritime corridors and places them at the intersection of major powers vying for influence. 4