What’s the point of having this superb military you’re always talking about” then US ambassador to the UN Madeline Albright told the cautious Army Chief of Staff Colin Powell, “if we can’t use it”? She could well have said this to the Indian government, which took more than a month to grant the Indian navy permission to patrol the Gulf of Aden. That finally Indian naval forces will be operating in this crucial waterway is less a testament to Indian government’s strategic assessment than it is to lack of choice. It has become India’s signature that it does not make a decision until no other way is left out to fudge the issue. The hijacking of the Stolt Valor with 18 Indians abroad underlined the need for a proactive stance by the Indian Navy in protecting India’s sea-borne trade as well as deterring piracy, alongside other navies deployed in this crucial region. But until recently, the defence minister explicitly ruled out hot pursuit of pirates “as a policy”, because “it has wider implications.”

There is a broader issue at stake here. A rapidly growing economy has given India the ability to spend on its defence readiness like never before. India has emerged as one of the largest arms buyers in the global market. In line with India’s broadening strategic horizons, its military acquisitions are seeing a marked shift from conventional land-based systems to means of power projection such as airborne refuelling systems and long-range missiles. But it remains unclear under what conditions India would be willing to use force in defending its interests. 

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