Now Reading: India unveils SHANTI framework for Bay of Bengal security
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India unveils SHANTI framework for Bay of Bengal security
On July 13, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar introduced SHANTI, Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity, while launching India’s candidature for the UN Security Council for 2028-29. The framework aims…
The Story in Brief
On July 13, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar introduced SHANTI, Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity, while launching India’s candidature for the UN Security Council for 2028-29. The framework aims to provide norms for maritime security cooperation in the Bay of Bengal, one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions that lacks coordinated response mechanisms.
Building on earlier initiatives SAGAR and MAHASAGAR, SHANTI shifts emphasis from competition to demand-driven cooperation. The BIMSTEC National Security Advisers’ meeting in July 2026 adopted common principles for maritime law enforcement and agreed to hold the grouping’s first joint maritime security exercise in November 2026, reflecting the norm-building SHANTI seeks to promote.
The Indian Opinion
The SHANTI framework is being presented as regional stewardship, not dominance, but sceptics will see it as another tool of Indian influence. The Bay of Bengal’s shared challenges, cyclones, illegal fishing, cable protection, make cooperation necessary, however. The real test will be whether the November 2026 BIMSTEC joint exercise becomes a genuine multilateral effort or remains India-led in practice. Can New Delhi cede coordination to smaller neighbours?
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
