Colombo Security Conclave (CSC): India’s New Maritime Security Powerhouse

 UPSC Current Affairs Master Notes | GS-2 | IR | IOR Strategy

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🌐 Rising Waves in the Indian Ocean: CSC 2025 Summit

On November 20, 2025, India hosted the 7th NSA-level summit of the Colombo Security Conclave in New Delhi — a moment loaded with geopolitical significance.

🌟 Who Was at the Table?

Category	Nations
Permanent Members	India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Bangladesh, Seychelles
Guest Participant	Malaysia
Host	Ajit Doval (India's NSA)

➡️ CSC is transforming into the premier regional maritime security bloc of the Indian Ocean.

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⚓ CSC: From Dormancy to Dynamism

Year	Milestone	Importance
2011	Formed as a trilateral (India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives)	Initial maritime cooperation
2014–19	Gradual decline	Political shifts in SL & Maldives
2020	Rebranded as CSC	Expanded mandate, renewed momentum
2022	Mauritius joins	Western IOR integration
2024	Bangladesh joins	Bay of Bengal synergy
2025	Seychelles becomes a full member	Central Western Indian Ocean strengthened

📌 CSC is becoming the most India-centric maritime forum in the Indo-Pacific.

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🚢 Why CSC Matters: The Security-Development Nexus

For Indian Ocean littorals: Security at sea = Security of livelihoods

🔹 Energy & trade dependence on sea routes
🔹 Fishing economy sustains coastal communities
🔹 Seas = gateway to national development

Thus, CSC focuses on non-traditional, people-centric maritime threats:

• Piracy & maritime terrorism

• Trafficking (drugs, arms, humans)

• Illegal, unreported fishing

• Climate & disaster risks

• Cyber vulnerabilities in ports

• Blue economy governance

➡️ Protecting the ocean = Protecting economies + societies + sovereignty

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🇮🇳 India’s Strategic Signal: A Guardrail Against China

The 2025 summit is India’s message to the region:

“Security in the Indian Ocean cannot be outsourced.”

China’s expanding presence — ports, naval visits, debt-driven infrastructure — is a structural challenge for India.

However…

India’s View	Other Members’ View
China = Strategic security concern	China = Major development partner

➡️ India must adopt smart persuasion — security cooperation without triggering suspicion or rivalry.

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🚀 Highlights from 2025 Summit

Development	Strategic Meaning
Seychelles becomes a full member	Strengthened Western Indian Ocean footprint
Malaysia participates	Future expansion → Southeast Asian linkages
Renewed commitment to the CSC mandate	Institutionalisation of IOR security

📌 CSC is graduating from a consultative platform into a strategic coalition.

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⚠️ Three Looming Risks

Risk	Explanation
Divergent China perceptions	Members may prioritise Chinese money over security concerns
Weak institutional structure	Needs a permanent Secretariat & working-level coordination
Domestic politics	Instability in Bangladesh & Maldives may disrupt the consensus

➡️ Institutional resilience is essential for CSC’s credibility.

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🧭 The Way Forward: Anchoring the Future

CSC must evolve into a structured, rules-based, cooperative security architecture with:

🔹 Permanent Secretariat
🔹 Operational working groups
🔹 Maritime Domain Awareness networks
🔹 Climate-security cooperation
🔹 Technology-driven surveillance

📌 The Indian Ocean is the 21st-century theatre of competition — CSC can shape its future.

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💎 UPSC Mains Enrichment

Golden Phrases to Use:

• “CSC is the embryo of a South Asian maritime security community.”

• “India seeks a balance between strategic autonomy and cooperative security.”

• “CSC symbolises India’s pivot from continental ambiguity to maritime assertiveness.”

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📝 Mains Questions

1️⃣ The Colombo Security Conclave marks India’s emergence as the primary security anchor of the Indian Ocean Region. Discuss. (15 marks)

2️⃣ How can the CSC address maritime threats while fostering economic development among Indian Ocean littoral states? (10 marks)

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🎯 Prelims Quick Hit

Q. Which of the following countries are members of the Colombo Security Conclave (2025)?

1. Mauritius

2. Bangladesh

3. Seychelles

4. Myanmar

A) 1, 2 and 4
B) 1, 2 and 3
C) 2 and 4 only
D) All of the above

✔️ Answer: B