India’s SHANTI Doctrine – Explained Pointwise

Recently, the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar introduced SHANTI (Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity) during the launch of India’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term. SHANTI provides a normative framework for shared maritime spaces & Bay of Bengal can serve as the ideal region to operationalize it before expanding it across the much wider Indo-Pacific region.

What is India’s SHANTI Doctrine?

• SHANTI Doctrine is a foreign policy and global governance vision unveiled by the External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during the launch of India’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028–29 term.
• It presents India’s approach towards building a secure, peaceful, and equitable world based on rules, cooperation, and inclusive development.
• SHANTI stands for: Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity.
• SHANTI is India’s latest strategic framework, building upon the earlier SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and MAHASAGAR frameworks.

How has India’s maritime/foreign policy doctrine evolved in last 10 years?

The SAGAR, MAHASAGAR, and SHANTI doctrines represent three distinct, sequential stages in the evolution of India’s maritime strategy and foreign policy.

What is the significance of India’s SHANTI Doctrine?

1. Strengthens India’s Bid for UNSC Term: SHANTI provides a values-based campaign platform for India’s candidature for the 2028–29 non-permanent seat, competing against Tajikistan for the sole Asia-Pacific Group slot.
2. Supports India’s UNSC Aspirations: By explicitly mentioning that reform limited only to the non-permanent category would be a “failure,” SHANTI boosts India’s permanent seat ambition even while pursuing a non-permanent term.
3. Promotes Rules-Based Global Order: The SHANTI Doctrine reaffirms India’s commitment to international law, the UN Charter, peaceful dispute resolution, and multilateralism. Thus, it will help in fostering a stable, predictable, and equitable global order based on shared norms and mutual trust.
4. Advances the Interests of the Global South: The SHANTI Doctrine reinforces India’s role as the voice of the Global South by advocating equitable global governance, greater representation in international institutions, development cooperation, climate justice, and inclusive, sustainable growth.
5. Strengthens Maritime Security: The SHANTI Doctrine complements SAGAR and MAHASAGAR by promoting a free, open, secure, and rules-based maritime order, strengthening maritime cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation, and enhancing security across the Indo-Pacific region.
6. Promotes Peace and Stability: The SHANTI Doctrine emphasizes peaceful dispute resolution, and dialogue-based conflict management, contributing to regional and global peace, stability, and a rules-based international order.
7. Encourages Responsible Use of Technology: The SHANTI Doctrine advocates the ethical, secure, and inclusive use of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, cyber technologies, and digital platforms through international cooperation, robust governance, and global standards.
8. Strengthens India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy: The SHANTI Doctrine complements the Act East Policy, and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) by promoting a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific through enhanced maritime cooperation, connectivity, and regional partnerships.

How can the Bay of Bengal play an important role in implementing India’s SHANTI Doctrine?

1. Strengthening Maritime Security: The SHANTI doctrine enables India to enhance maritime security  in Bay of Bengal through coordinated naval exercises, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), intelligence sharing, and joint efforts against piracy, terrorism, trafficking, and illegal fishing.
2. Promoting a Rules-Based Maritime Order: SHANTI enables India to uphold UNCLOS, freedom of navigation, peaceful dispute resolution, and respect for international maritime law, fostering stability, trust, and secure maritime commerce in the Bay of Bengal region first & then in the Indo-Pacific region.
3. Enhancing Regional Connectivity: SHANTI Doctrine will enhance the regional connectivity in the Bay of Bengal littoral countries by improving multimodal connectivity through the Kaladan Project, India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, ports, and coastal shipping, fostering trade, economic integration, and regional trust.
4. Advancing the Blue Economy: The SHANTI Doctrine promotes sustainable fisheries, marine resource management, offshore renewable energy, maritime tourism, and resilient port infrastructure in the Bay of Bengal, fostering inclusive growth, regional cooperation, and environmental sustainability.
5. Climate Resilience & Disaster Management: The Bay of Bengal is one of the world’s most cyclone-prone marine basins, directly threatening millions of coastal residents. Under the SHANTI doctrine’s widened security scope, India leads joint HADR exercises & early-warning data sharingacross the littoral states.
6. Strengthening BIMSTEC: SHANTI will eventually help in strengthening & operationalizing the BIMSTEC by enhancing regional cooperation in maritime security, trade, connectivity, disaster management, and capacity building, while fostering trust, inclusive development, and a rules-based order in the Bay of Bengal.

What are the major challenges in implementing India’s SHANTI Doctrine?

1. Veto Power and Structural Stalemate: The core pillar of SHANTI calls for reforming the UNSC. However, the five permanent members (P5) remain reluctant to dilute their veto powers or agree on text-based negotiations, making it difficult for India to achieve concrete reforms and expand the Security Council.
2. Regional Security Threats: Persistent terrorism, piracy, illegal fishing, trafficking, maritime disputes, and transnational crime in the Indo-Pacific and Bay of Bengal can undermine regional stability, making effective implementation of the SHANTI Doctrine more challenging.
3. China’s Expanding Maritime Presence: China’s expanding naval deployments, port infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and growing influence in the Indian Ocean challenge India’s efforts to promote a secure, rules-based, and cooperative maritime order under the SHANTI Doctrine.
4. Weak Regional Cooperation: Divergent strategic interests, political differences, and uneven institutional capacities among regional countries can hinder consensus-building, limiting effective cooperation on maritime security, connectivity, climate action, and implementation of the SHANTI Doctrine.
5. Climate Change and Natural Disasters: Frequent cyclones, sea-level rise, and coastal erosion in the Bay of Bengal threaten maritime infrastructure, connectivity, and livelihoods, making climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and regional cooperation essential for the effective implementation of the SHANTI Doctrine.
6. Resource Constraints: Implementing the SHANTI Doctrine requires sustained investment in maritime infrastructure, naval modernization, connectivity projects, technology, capacity building, and development partnerships. Limited financial and institutional resources may constrain its effective implementation and long-term sustainability.
7. Erosion of Strategic Autonomy: India’s broader maritime challenges involve balancing its desire to counter China’s influence without engaging in the arms race or becoming entangled in formal alliances – which is a tightrope walk that impacts all its maritime doctrines.

Conclusion: The success of the SHANTI Doctrine will depend on India’s ability to strengthen the regional institutions, build maritime and technological capacities, and translate its vision of Norms, Trust, and Integrity into practical outcomes through sustained diplomacy and partnerships.