Indian Ocean Primacy
India rises to China’s maritime challenges by promoting multilateral cooperation
Sarosh Bana
India plans to open a strategic naval base in 2026 on its eastern seaboard in Andhra Pradesh to counter China’s Longpo Naval Base. The new base, INS Varsha (Hindi for rain), is in Rambilli, a village 50 kilometers south of India’s Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.
China’s Longpo (East Yulin) base on Hainan Island is a key facility for the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) nuclear submarine fleet because it abuts the South China Sea, home to many of the region’s contested island chains.
Like Longpo, the Indian base will berth up to 12 nuclear submarines, including ship submersible ballistic nuclear (SSBN) and ship submersible nuclear (SSN) submarines for deterrence. The PLAN is expanding its Longpo base, however, with new piers and widened channels.
Varsha also will project India’s broader naval strategy to enhance its maritime dominance across the Bay of Bengal and the wider Indian Ocean region as a counterweight to China’s growing presence.
Three PLAN dual-use naval facilities are also on the Bay of Bengal: Hambantota port in Sri Lanka; Bangladesh Navy Base BNS Pekua; and the Kyaukphyu deep seaport under development in Myanmar, all part of China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) infrastructure scheme.
Offsetting China
India has long been concerned about China’s hegemonic ambitions as Beijing aggressively asserts its arbitrary territorial claims across the Indo-Pacific, most notably in the South China Sea. India became aware of China’s aims in the Indian Ocean region in February 2014 when the PLAN deployed a Type-093 SSN in the Gulf of Aden. The aggressive move launched an era of maritime strategic competition between the nuclear powers.
India continues to be mindful of China’s looming profile in the region, including ramifications of the PLAN’s submarine force modernization and updates to its submarine production infrastructure, as a 2023 United States Naval War College report documented.
China’s continuing maritime expansion in the Indian Ocean poses not only a security threat to India but also a challenge for dominance in the region, analysts contend.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed an updated strategic framework for his nation in the Indian Ocean. The Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions promotes maritime cooperation with other littoral states on issues such as maritime domain awareness, developmental assistance, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
India is increasing engagement with like-minded nations and institutions to enhance the region’s maritime security structure. India and the U.S. are deepening their strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s growing influence and assertiveness. India has increased its cooperation as part of the Quad partnership with Australia, Japan and the U.S. to maintain peace, stability and freedom of navigation across the Indo-Pacific.
India continues to support groups such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association to protect the region’s identity and initiatives to foster maritime cooperation, including the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region and the Colombo Security Conclave. Moreover, India is pressing forward with expanding its naval assets by commissioning bases, submarines and other vessels at an accelerated pace.
Matching Longpo
The PLAN’s Longpo base plays a central role in the logistical and operational infrastructure of China’s sea-based nuclear deterrent. INS Varsha will enable India to maintain a credible second-strike capability under its nuclear triad.
Like Longpo, INS Varsha will have a network of underground enclosures and tunnels to house submarines and shield stealth operations from aerial surveillance and satellite detection.
While the base’s crew will be drawn from the Indian Navy, operational control will be with the Strategic Forces Command in New Delhi. The operational arm of India’s Nuclear Command Authority, it is responsible for managing the country’s strategic and tactical nuclear weapons stockpile.
INS Varsha’s proximity to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Visakhapatnam provides access to extensive infrastructure for research and development covering the spectrum of nuclear science.
The Bay of Bengal, a vital waterway due to its location in the northern Indian Ocean and its significant maritime traffic, connects through the Andaman Sea to the Malacca Strait to its southeast. The 805-kilometer-long strait links to the South China Sea and is a crucial choke point that provides the shortest sea route between the Middle East and East and Southeast Asia, making it a key path for oil and natural gas shipments. Any disruption to the strait could have global consequences, undermining supply chains and economic stability.
Advancing Maritime Technologies
In 1998, India conceived its classified Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to domestically design and build three SSBNs. They are being assembled at the Visakhapatnam shipbuilding center with the support of BARC and the nation’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The lead vessel, the 111-meter INS Arihant, was commissioned in 2016. Its identical successor, the 6,000-ton INS Arighat, joined service in 2024. The Arihant is armed with the domestically built 750-kilometer-range K-15 Sagarika submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Arighat has more Indian-made components and can carry the 3,500-kilometer-range, nuclear-capable Kalam-4 (K-4) SLBM. The K-4, also Indian-made, was first test-fired in the Bay of Bengal in November 2024. The missile is a significant upgrade for India’s nuclear deterrence capabilities and can target key assets across most of China and Pakistan. With the test, India became part of an exclusive group of nations capable of firing nuclear missiles from land, air and undersea.
The K-4 is a variant of the intermediate-range, land-based Agni-III ballistic missile. The K-15 is a variant of the short-range, hypersonic, surface-to-surface Shaurya missile.
INS Aridhaman, the third SSBN, was expected to join service by late 2025. With a larger displacement of 7,000 tons, it accommodates eight K-4 or 24 K-15 SLBMs. All three submarines are powered by the BARC-made, 83-megawatt compact light water reactor. The double-hulled vessels can reach speeds of 24 knots submerged and 15 knots on the surface. A fourth submarine is under construction and will be the most advanced of the class.
The Associated Press
Rich Submarine History
In the late 1980s, India leased its first submarine, a Charlie I-class SSN, from the Soviet Navy. It was renamed the INS Chakra and operated from 1987-91. Although relatively small and less capable than contemporary nuclear submarines, the INS Chakra allowed the Indian Navy to study nuclear propulsion technology and maintenance practices.
India’s ATV program includes plans for four more Arihant-class SSBNs and at least two S5-class SSBNs. With a submerged displacement of 13,000 tons, each of the behemoth S5-class submarines will be armed with up to 16 K-6 intercontinental SLBMs that carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, which the DRDO is developing. With a planned range of 8,000-10,000 kilometers, the missile will significantly enhance India’s second-strike capability and operational reach. The S5-class will be propelled by a 190-megawatt, pressurized light-water reactor also being developed by BARC.
In October 2024, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security approved building two 9,800-ton SSNs for $4.7 billion. Plans call for six SSNs, armed with nonnuclear missiles and other conventional weapons.
In 2012, India signed a $1 billion, 10-year deal to lease an Akula II-class SSN from Russia. The 8,140-ton submarine, named INS Chakra II, joined the Indian Navy fleet that year and was returned to Russia when the lease ended. New Delhi agreed to lease another Akula-class SSN, the INS Chakra III.
It appears that New Delhi’s strategic interests remain anchored in the Indian Ocean region. Given its deep entrenchment and investment, India will likely continue working to match China at every turn to remain a key maritime security force. India’s moves to counter China’s expanding port infrastructure in the region and accelerate commissioning of advanced maritime technologies will strengthen deterrence.
