The Sino/Indian Rivalry and Indian Naval Modernization

Abstract

Abstract From 1991 to 2020 the Indian Navy transformed from a navy largely centred on protecting India’s immediate periphery to a force capable of projecting force to distant parts of the Indian Ocean Region. The key driver behind this modernization has been the Sino/Indian strategic rivalry. As Chinese naval visits increased in the Indian Ocean Region, calls increased in New Delhi to counter the Chinese navy. Of vital importance, multiple points of rivalry escalation between China and India constituted critical junctures in the rivalry, thus further exacerbating threat perceptions in India. Importantly, other explanations for India’s naval modernization such as arguments based on bureaucratic politics and nationalism are either insufficient, or are already embedded in the strategic rivalry.