Indian Ocean: Theatre of decision in the 21st century
From naval dominance in the Indian Ocean to countering Beijing's westward sweep, India must build a grand strategy that leverages its maritime geography, not just its borders
Share
 "K Raja Menon")
 "A map depicting China's quest for maritime domination")
A map depicting China’s quest for maritime domination
During the Cold War, the great American strategist Andrew Marshall posited the theory that in a world with nuclear weapons that prevented countries from getting into conflict and planning to attack and occupy each other’s territories, grand strategy would be reduced to “winning” the competition and outlasting the enemy’s political system. He was to be proved correct, but the technique he devised to craft a grand strategy was a two-step process. In the first step, a multidisciplinary group of specialists would “define” what the enemy state would evolve into in, say, 20 years. Second, a strategy would be crafted
Written By
K Raja Menon
The author, now retired, was assistant chief of naval staff (operations), Indian Navy. Views expressed are personal
 "K Raja Menon")
First Published: Dec 10 2025 | 9:24 AM IST
In this article :
