Indian Ocean as Shared Heritage: Ajit Doval Calls for a Resilient Maritime Order at Colombo Security Conclave

India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval delivered a compelling address at the 7th Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) in New Delhi, describing the Indian Ocean as “our greatest shared heritage” and underscoring its role as the economic lifeline for millions across the region. He argued that in a world shaped by rapidly shifting geopolitics, the Indian Ocean nations must strengthen collective resolve to ensure maritime stability, peace, and prosperity.

Doval highlighted how the CSC—originally conceived to enhance cooperation among India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and later joined by Mauritius and Bangladesh—has steadily evolved into a pivotal security framework. What began as a consultative platform has now become a structured regional security mechanism capable of addressing both traditional and emerging threats.

NSA Ajit Doval (PTI Image) | News18

Institutionalising the Colombo Security Conclave

A significant portion of Doval’s message centred on the institutional strengthening of the CSC. Over the past year, the conclave has taken concrete steps to formalise its architecture: the adoption of the CSC Charter, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a permanent Secretariat, and the appointment of its first Secretary-General. These developments reflect a commitment to continuity, discipline, and long-term collaboration, ensuring that cooperation does not remain episodic but moves towards a sustained framework.

Doval acknowledged the progress achieved since the sixth meeting held in Mauritius, emphasising the importance of regular consultations, shared vision, and ongoing capacity-building exercises. The CSC’s five-pillared structure—ranging from maritime safety to cybersecurity—has made it more adaptive to evolving security challenges, allowing it to address issues from terrorism to disaster response with greater coherence.

The Ocean as Heritage and Responsibility

At the heart of Doval’s speech was a philosophical yet urgent call to regard the Indian Ocean not merely as a strategic zone but as a generational legacy. He described the waters as an “engine that propels our economies,” reminding member states that their prosperity is intimately tied to maritime security.

He urged countries of the region to preserve the ocean through a rules-based, cooperative maritime order—one that is open, inclusive, and not vulnerable to unilateralism or coercive influence. The Indian Ocean, he asserted, must remain a space governed by shared stewardship rather than competing ambitions. This vision demands collaboration in maritime domain awareness, sustainable resource use, and coordinated diplomatic efforts to keep the region secure.

Facing Contemporary Threats Together

The CSC meeting provided a platform for member nations to articulate concerns over contemporary security challenges. Bangladesh’s NSA warned about the destabilising impact of misinformation, disinformation, and cyber vulnerabilities—issues that have become as threatening as traditional forms of conflict.

Doval echoed these concerns, stressing the urgency of strengthening cyber defences and protecting critical infrastructure. He also noted the continuing challenges of transnational crime, radicalisation, narcotics trafficking, and piracy, all of which require enhanced intelligence-sharing and joint training among member nations.

In a region where strategic competition among global powers is intensifying, collective action becomes not just desirable but necessary. Doval’s remarks reflected the importance of the CSC in building a resilient regional architecture that can withstand both internal and external pressures.

Geopolitical Significance of Strengthening the CSC

The Indian Ocean has emerged as one of the most contested maritime spaces in the world, with major powers increasing their naval presence, seeking strategic footholds, and competing for influence. The CSC, in this context, is more than a cooperative platform—it is a strategic counterweight that amplifies the collective voice of regional nations.

By enhancing institutional depth, sharing technology, and building surveillance capacity, the CSC allows its members to safeguard their sovereignty and maintain autonomy in a rapidly polarising world. Doval’s emphasis on a rules-based maritime order reflects India’s broader attempt to preserve stability at a time when unilateral maritime assertiveness elsewhere threatens to spill into the Indian Ocean.

Looking Towards 2026

The conclave concluded with member states reviewing progress since 2023 and outlining a roadmap for 2026. This roadmap aims to expand cooperation under all five pillars, modernise information-sharing platforms, strengthen maritime domain awareness systems, and improve disaster-response mechanisms.

The meeting marked not just the continuation of dialogue but the consolidation of a long-term strategy that positions the Indian Ocean nations as active guardians of their shared maritime future.

The MGMM Outlook

The message delivered by Ajit Doval at the Colombo Security Conclave reinforces a principle we firmly believe in: the Indian Ocean is not merely a strategic asset but a civilisational link that binds our region. His emphasis on shared heritage, cooperative security, and a rules-based maritime order resonates with our belief that stability is possible only when nations act with responsibility rather than rivalry. The strengthening of the CSC—its charter, permanent secretariat, and structured pillars—shows that regional nations are finally moving from symbolic partnerships to meaningful, long-term coordination. This evolving framework reflects a maturing regional consciousness where maritime security, cyber safety, and counter-terror cooperation are treated not as isolated issues but as interconnected responsibilities.

Doval’s address signals a crucial shift toward collective resilience at a time when misinformation, radicalisation, narcotics trafficking, and external geopolitical pressures threaten regional harmony. The CSC’s roadmap to 2026—focused on surveillance, domain awareness, disaster response, and intelligence sharing—embodies the kind of proactive regionalism the Indian Ocean desperately requires. It is clear that the path to a stable future lies in deepening cooperation, resisting coercive influences, and ensuring that the ocean remains a shared resource rather than contested terrain. In this journey, India’s leadership and the unified resolve of neighbouring countries will determine whether the region emerges stronger, safer, and more self-reliant.

(Sources: News18, Firstpost, Economic Times)