Relations between India and the western parts of South East Asia go back to prehistoric times. India’s cultural influence on Burma, Siam, Malaya, Cambodia, and Java is self apparent. There were social and religious contacts too. These influences were the results of trading links and the spread of religious teachings – not of military expeditions. Thus they were more permanent in nature and was the high watermark of maritime enterprise of the ancient Indians.

It has been proved beyond doubt that the Indians of the past were not stay-at- home people, but ventured out to neighbouring lands and islands for exploration and trade. The sea was the obvious way of travel between India and the South East Asian Archipelago. The voyages from the Coromandel Coast to the Straits of Malacca were short and their frequency high. Indian traders would set sail from the port of Mahabalipuram, carrying with them cinnamon, pepper and their civilization to the shores of Java, Cambodia and Bali. To reach the countries in the Eastern parts of the Indo-China, ships transited through either the Malacca or the Sunda Straits. To avoid the piracy prevalent in these narrow waters, travelers took several short cuts overland. Archaeological discoveries along these overland routes bear out their importance. The security of the Straits had high priority in India’s ancient interaction with the South East Asian states and it continued with the empire of Srivijaya. The maritime security regime prevalent then had forced all ships to be harboured at one or other of it’s ports for safety. The resurgence of Malacca in the 15th century provided the real impetus to trade between India and South East Asia.

Today, with about 46 per cent of India’s trade passing through the Straits, it is in India’s interests to ensure that this sea space is made safe and secure for the growth of maritime enterprise. India has been engaged in bilateral naval cooperation with several South East Asian countries with the primary aim of addressing maritime problems. This has resulted in naval exercises, laying out common operating procedures, search and rescue at sea and protection of the marine environment. The cooperative security framework, besides creating a multilateral synergy of enhanced security cooperation, has resulted in the growth of cordial relations between countries, contributing to stability in the region.

The Straits of Malacca is rife with several security threats, such as piracy, maritime terrorism, drug smuggling, gun running and illegal immigration. These challenges have the potential to disrupt, if not destroy, the maritime shipping in the Straits. Although regional countries have made considerable efforts to address these problems with some encouraging results, the challenges and threats are too formidable and complex for the combat capabilities of these countries.

This paper argues that India has stakes in maintaining the safety and security of the Straits of Malacca. It is imperative that New Delhi should follow an aggressive strategy of contributing to the region’s own efforts to keep the Straits of Malacca safe ands free from any of the threats. The paper also argues that a secure maritime environment can never be achieved by the efforts of a single country. It requires the mutual understanding and cooperation of all the countries in the region, including its neighbours. It is essential for India and South East Asia to evolve the accents of cooperative security to foster maritime relations that would have its salient impact in trade, commerce and cultural linkages.