Question

what are the implications of India having a long coastline

Answer 1

India’s coastline is roughly 7,500 km with Arabian Sea on the West and Bay of Bengal in the East. Indian subcontinent lies in the Indian Ocean region. This geography provides India with huge advantages. Some of them are:

Maritime Trade - This vast coastline and access to Indian Ocean allows India to trade with the most parts of the World. Arabian Sea gives it access to gulf countries which are major oil exporters. The Andaman Sea gives it access to Malacca Strait and then to South China sea. For this reason India has been a maritime nation since ancient past. It was a global trade center for spices and textile.

Tourism - A long coastline implies good tourism potential for several states of India like Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A variety of beaches are found in India.

Cheap Transport - Sea transport is cheaper than land transport and this implies low cost of imports and exports.

Monsoon - The South West monsoon from Indian ocean brings good amount of rainfall to India. The agriculture thrives due to good rainfall.

Safety and Security - The Sea borders are considered safer than land borders. There is no need for fencing like in case of land borders to check infiltration. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) protects India’s maritime interests.

Climate - The long coastline results in pleasant maritime climate near the coastal areas.

Resources - India is heavily dependent on Indian Ocean for it’s resources. India’s fishing industry is one of the largest in the World. Mineral resouces extraction is also important. India has exclusive rights to explore Central Indian Ocean.

There are also some challenges faced:

a) Disasters - Indian Ocean region is prone to tsunamis. The 2004 tsunami killed many people.

b) Security - There are some security dimensions to India’s engagement in Indian Ocean. One of the worst terrorist attacks in India - the 2008 assault on Mumbai in which 168 people were killed, was perpetrated by terrorists arriving from the sea. Smuggling,human trafficking and illegal fishing are also major challenges.

c) Piracy - Piracy poses a threat to the free passage of trade and energy. Beginning in 2005 pirates operating mostly from Somalia region begin to hijack commercial ships with alarming regularity, with such incidents peaking in 2010.

d) Naval competition - With an eye on securing trade routes, resource rights and commercial interests the naval forces of maritime nations in the Indian Ocean region and beyond are becoming increasingly active.

India is blessed with a very good geography. Today 98% of India’s trade by Volume and 68% by value comes via Indian Ocean.

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