Australia’s thin engagement in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) leaves it vulnerable to escalating maritime threats, but stronger partnership with India offers significant benefits for both countries, a new report from United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney argues.
In Securing the Indian Ocean: Elevating the India-Australia maritime partnership, USSC 2025 Maitri Fellow Rushali Saha assesses the increasing maritime threats in the Indian Ocean Region and opportunities for Australia and India to work together for mutual benefit.
“While much of the world focuses on Greenland, Iran and Venezuela, the Indian Ocean Region has not garnered as much attention, but threats do not go away in the absence of international attention. We have seen a notable increase in a range of maritime security issues in the region,” USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Dr Lavina Lee said.
The report notes that there is a congruence of shared interests and mutual concerns between Australia and India in the IOR, but examines key limitations, including a lack of prioritisation and myopic focus on military maritime threats. Expanding the focus to include cybersecurity and other non-military threats is essential for regional security, and strengthened coordination between Australia, India and a range of regional players can make a significant difference, according to the report.
“The good news is that, through increasing communication and engagement, the groundwork has already been laid for Australia and India to work together to counter novel threats, but it will require strategy, coordination and commitment,” Dr Lee noted. “This is exactly the sort of middle-power partnership that can boost collective security amid heightened geopolitical tensions.”
- Securing the Indian Ocean: Elevating the India-Australia maritime partnership is now available to view or download.
Recommendations
To advance a resilient and coordinated maritime partnership, India and Australia should:
Expand bilateral maritime cooperation to better integrate initiatives focused on regional non-traditional security challenges.
- Formalise cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Australian Maritime Border Command to strengthen staff-to-staff linkages and improve operational and cooperative linkages.
- Prioritise non-traditional security threats by making maritime security a regular agenda item at ministerial level dialogues and greater Track 1.5 and 2 interactions.
- Improve cooperation on maritime cybersecurity using the Australia–India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership to support collaborative research projects which address joint solutions to safeguarding critical maritime infrastructure from cyber-attacks.
Build regional capacity through bilateral coordination of existing maritime capacity building strategies in partner South Asian countries.
- Coordinate delivery of maritime safety and security equipment to avoid duplication and improve efficiency.
- Coordinate existing capacity building initiatives to improve maritime domain awareness (MDA) capabilities of regional states.
- Launch co-hosted naval training programs and improve linkages with regional coast guards through Australian participation in existing exercises.
- Build institutional capacity and knowledge networks in South Asian countries to address environmental security threats, including establishing regional centres of excellence.