Saturday 10 / October / 2026
India and the United States are exploring enhanced strategic cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, with plans to develop critical infrastructure, including ports and telecommunications networks, in countries such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Mauritius.
The proposed collaboration is expected to be pursued under the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture (IOSV), an initiative launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump during their bilateral summit in February 2025.
“India is great at building ports. We have the money to help build those ports. How can we get in there and pool our resources in these key countries and advance that? So we’re looking at ports. We’re looking at maritime security, and then digital infrastructure. We’re looking at 6G. What is the next generation of standards going to look like, and how can the U.S. and India be the leaders and partner in that? So those are really the key themes,” a senior US State Department official said.
Strengthening maritime security and governance is also expected to be a central pillar of the partnership. Potential areas of cooperation include combating illegal fishing, human trafficking and the illicit narcotics trade across the region.
The official also indicated that monitoring foreign vessels operating under the guise of research missions could be another area of focus. The issue is particularly significant for India, which has long expressed security concerns over the activities of Chinese hydrographic research vessels in the Indian Ocean.
Another key objective of the IOSV initiative is to offer regional countries economic alternatives to Chinese state-backed enterprises involved in strategic infrastructure projects.
“We want to provide alternatives, and we can’t always compete because sometimes the costs don’t make sense. Our private sector cannot offer the same prices that a government-backed company can offer, and so that’s when we say, how can the US and India work together on this?” the official said.
Through the initiative, India and the United States aim to pool financial resources, technical expertise and strategic capabilities to support infrastructure development, strengthen regional maritime security and expand cooperation in emerging digital technologies. The partnership could also provide participating countries with additional options for financing and developing critical infrastructure.
