Doval at Work

By casting the ocean as a shared inheritance, Doval was able to link prosperity to security  – Jaideep Saikia

The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) that brought together six full members - India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Seychelles - on 20 November 2025 witnessed India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval at his diplomatic best. Doval's central message was that the Indian Ocean is "our biggest heritage", the veritable engine that drives the member country's economies, and, therefore, it is a shared responsibility to keep it safe, stable and secure.

Doval urged the littoral nations to work together under the five CSC pillars (maritime safety, counter terrorism, organized crime, cyber security and humanitarian assistance) in order to protect that common heritage and ensure a rule-based, open maritime order.

Doval's focus on 'maritime heritage' was not a diversion, as some among many are hinting. In fact, it was a well-thought-out strategic framework of why the Indian Ocean matters to every single agenda on the table. By casting the Indian Ocean as a shared heritage, Doval was able to engineer the following:

1.    Link economic development to security, which in any event is a factor of a stable maritime domain that protects the sea routes that carry the bulk of regional trade, which in turn underpins the financial wherewithal needed for counter terrorism, cyber security and disaster relief efforts.

2.    Signal a rule based approach which emphasises an "open, inclusive maritime domain" and frames India's position against any extra-regional attempts to dominate the region. The obvious reference was to China's growing ominous presence in the Indian Ocean Region.

3.    Build consensus among member states. Doval spoke about a common heritage and stated that such a commonality would create a sense of shared responsibility, making it easier to cooperate on the other pillars, namely maritime safety, counter terrorism, cyber security, et al., that were also on the agenda.

So, while issues like counter terrorism and cyber threats were discussed, Doval's maritime heritage remark was an excellent way to anchor the other priorities in a broader, unifying narrative about the Indian Ocean's strategic essence.?

The Indian National Security Adviser's 'maritime heritage' phrase was not just an attempt at poetic flourish. As aforesaid, it was an avant-garde and successful attempt to deliberately frame and articulate the imperatives that tie together security, economics and regional diplomatic initiatives.

By casting the ocean as a shared inheritance, Doval was able to (a) link prosperity to security.

The Indian Ocean carries roughly 95% of India's trade in terms of volume and about 68% by way of value. If the seas are safe, the lifelines of the economy stay open; if they are threatened, everything from energy imports to food supplies can be disrupted.

Doval's emphasis on heritage reminded his audience that protecting the ocean is protecting a nation's wealth. (b) It would create a cooperative narrative. By speaking of a common heritage, Doval invited the smaller littoral states like the Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, as well as the Seychelles, to view one another as partners and not as competitors. The phrase "shared maritime geographies" heralded that any threat to the ocean is a threat to all concerned, making it easier thereby to build consensus on joint patrols, intelligence sharing and capacity building. (c) It was able to cleverly counter external influence. The Indian Ocean is being increasingly contested, especially by China's growing maritime footprint. Indeed, it is my contention that one of the reasons why China engineered Galwan in Eastern Ladakh was to tie down India to its land commitments and away from any adventurism into the maritime arena. Framing the ocean as a "shared heritage", the Doval sleigh of speech positioned India as the guardian of a rules based order, contrasting it with any unilateral attempts to dominate the region.

Therefore, when Doval was laying stress on maritime heritage, he was actually stitching together economic logic, foreign policy outreach and strategic positioning, all of which was with the avowed aim of keeping the Indian Ocean stable, secure and, ultimately, India friendly.?

It must also be said that with India claiming to be the "guardian of a rules based order", it was showcasing the manner in which it backs its utterances with concrete action across the Indian Ocean.

Firstly, New Delhi has turned the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine into a living framework that pledges a free, open and inclusive maritime space.? This means India not only patrols its own Exclusive Economic Zone but also helps littoral neighbours build coastguard and naval capabilities, shares real time threat data through the Information Fusion Centre, and leads joint exercises that keep sea lanes safe for all the member states.

Secondly, India backs the global rulebook, namely the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, by enacting domestic laws that mirror its provisions. The 2025 Merchant Shipping Act, for example, aligns Indian shipping regulations with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and other International Maritime Organization conventions. It even provides governments "hot pursuit" powers on the high seas, exhibiting thereby a willingness to enforce international norms in real time.

Thirdly, India leveraged multilateral platforms to shape the regional architecture. As a founding member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and the Colombo Security Conclave, India pushes for consensus on counter terrorism, cyber security and humanitarian assistance, while also contributing to the QUAD's vision of a free and open Indo Pacific.

Together, these diplomatic, legal and operational strands have raised India to act as a steady hand that upholds the rule based order, protecting sea lanes, deterring coercive behaviour, and offering a cooperative alternative to any extra-regional or even great power rivalry.

Doval, who had been facing criticism for not paying adequate attention to diplomacy and the neighbourhood, finally clinched an important opportunity and translated it into a statesmanlike demeanour.

(Jaideep Saikia is a foremost strategist, thinker and bestselling author. He can be reached at jdpsaikia@gmail.com.)