The geographical scope of India's maritime security is broadening. Historically, India's focus has been the Indian Ocean region, but the Indo-Pacific maritime security architecture is becoming increasingly relevant in New Delhi’s foreign policy and security discussions. With India's 'Act East' policy gaining prominence and more attention on the 'extended' neighbourhood, there is a noticeable increase in India's maritime engagement in Southeast Asia. India's participation in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tokyo further underscores its interest in peace and stability in the South China Sea. As China adopts a more assertive stance in this region, it is crucial to examine the expanding contours of India's maritime security. The panel discussion will explore these developments and discuss strategies for addressing emerging challenges.

The key questions guiding the discussion are as follows: 

• Given the evolving maritime security architecture in the Indo-Pacific, what are the key areas of interest for India? 
• How is India likely to respond to emerging security challenges in this region? 
• Does India possess the capabilities to extend its maritime security focus beyond the Indian Ocean? 
• Can India play a more prominent role in the South China Sea?

Speakers: 

Admiral Sunil Lanba (Retd.), Former Chief of the Naval Staff
Pratnashree Basu, Associate Fellow, ORF 
Manu Pubby, Senior Editor, The Economic Times
Abhijit Singh, Head, Maritime Policy Initiative, Observer Research Foundation