{"id":335613,"date":"2025-05-05T17:51:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T12:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=335613"},"modified":"2025-05-12T19:37:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T14:07:20","slug":"india-needs-a-stronger-strategy-for-arctic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/india-needs-a-stronger-strategy-for-arctic\/","title":{"rendered":"India needs a stronger strategy for Arctic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source<\/strong>: The post India needs a stronger strategy for Arctic has been created, based on the article \u201cIndia must rethink its Arctic outlook<\/strong>\u201d published in \u201cThe Hindu<\/strong>\u201d on 5 May 2025. India needs a stronger strategy for Arctic.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"INDIA<\/p>\n

UPSC Syllabus Topic:<\/strong> GS Paper2-International Relations \u2014 Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.<\/p>\n

Context<\/strong>: The Arctic, long viewed as a peaceful zone for science and conservation, is now turning into a stage for military and geopolitical rivalry. Climate change and strategic ambitions of major powers have accelerated this shift. Non-Arctic countries like India must now adapt to these evolving dynamics.<\/p>\n

For detailed information on India<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s potential in Arctic region<\/strong> read this article here<\/a><\/p>\n

Geopolitics Redraw the Arctic Map<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. From Margins to the Main Stage:<\/strong> The Arctic is no longer marginal to global politics. Climate change has unlocked maritime routes and resource access. The Northern Sea Route (NSR), once seasonally open, is now a viable shipping lane with rising traffic that may alter global trade patterns.<\/li>\n
  2. Competing Ambitions of Great Powers:<\/strong> Russia is growing more assertive, China is expanding its Arctic footprint, and the U.S. is renewing interest in Greenland. These moves signal the Arctic’s entry into great power rivalry.<\/li>\n
  3. The Strategic Value of Greenland<\/strong>:<\/strong> Donald Trump\u2019s 2019 proposal to buy Greenland reflected the Arctic\u2019s growing strategic value. It indicated a recognition that the region is now central to global power dynamics.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Militarisation of the High North<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Rising Military Presence:<\/strong> Arctic states are reviving military bases, deploying submarines, and making visible shows of force. Control over the region is now a high-stakes issue.<\/li>\n
    2. Old Patterns, New Intensity:<\/strong> Militarisation isn’t new, but it’s now more aggressive and visible. Strategic positioning is becoming more frequent and deliberate.<\/li>\n
    3. Strategic Implications for Non-Arctic States:<\/strong> The militarisation also affects countries like India. Despite being impacted, India remains mostly disengaged from these unfolding strategic changes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Strategic Stakes for India<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. Impact on Maritime Trade Routes:<\/strong> As the NSR becomes viable, trade may shift northward, affecting India\u2019s Indian Ocean sea-lane relevance and its SAGAR and IPOI visions.<\/li>\n
      2. Arctic-Indo-Pacific Linkages<\/strong>:<\/strong> China\u2019s Arctic and Indian Ocean presence and its coordination with Russia blur boundaries between the regions, challenging India\u2019s maritime focus.<\/li>\n
      3. Perception Challenges in the Arctic:<\/strong> Nordic unease over India\u2019s Russia ties adds pressure. India must demonstrate that strategic autonomy can still foster cooperative outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        India<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s Arctic Engagement: Present and Gaps<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. A Climate-Driven Arctic Policy:<\/strong> India\u2019s 2022 Arctic Policy focuses on science, sustainability, and climate parallels with the Himalayan \u201cThird Pole.\u201d It links Arctic changes to South Asia\u2019s water and weather systems.<\/li>\n
        2. Ignoring Strategic Realities:<\/strong> However, the policy underestimates the Arctic\u2019s strategic transformation. India\u2019s non-political approach now appears outdated.<\/li>\n
        3. Inadequate Strategic Presence<\/strong>:<\/strong> India maintains a research station in Svalbard and holds observer status in the Arctic Council. These roles were created for a more cooperative era, which is now breaking down.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Towards a More Purposeful Arctic Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n
            \n
          1. Institutional Strengthening:<\/strong> India should establish dedicated Arctic units in its ministries, hold regular inter-agency discussions, and involve think tanks.<\/li>\n
          2. Partnerships with Like-Minded States:<\/strong> India can collaborate on dual-use areas like polar logistics, maritime monitoring, and satellite data to build credibility.<\/li>\n
          3. Claiming a Governance Role:<\/strong> India must engage emerging Arctic forums on infrastructure, shipping, and digital standards, while respecting local communities and avoiding extractive approaches.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

            India\u2019s climate-led Arctic stance has value, but it no longer meets current strategic demands. A passive posture risks exclusion from a new Arctic order defined by power.<\/p>\n

            Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n

            Evaluate<\/strong> how India\u2019s current Arctic policy falls short in addressing the region\u2019s emerging strategic and geopolitical challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Source: The post India needs a stronger strategy for Arctic has been created, based on the article \u201cIndia must rethink its Arctic outlook\u201d published in \u201cThe Hindu\u201d on 5 May 2025. India needs a stronger strategy for Arctic. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2-International Relations \u2014 Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Context:… Continue reading India needs a stronger strategy for Arctic<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":336407,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[212,239,10498],"class_list":["post-335613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-gs-paper-2","tag-international-relations","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/INDIA-ARCTIC-STRATEGY.png?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/336407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}