India-ASEAN maritime cooperation urged to secure Indo-Pacific supply routes

Experts at a conference in New Delhi titled ‘Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’ emphasized the urgent need to secure maritime highways and develop alternative supply routes due to ongoing geopolitical crises.

Organized by the Chintan Research Foundation, the meeting highlighted that while India and ASEAN possess strong institutional foundations, greater convergence in implementation is required to transform geography into economic opportunity.

R. Lakshmanan, former Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, noted the severe economic impact of current instabilities. He stated that the cost of chartering a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) has increased approximately ten times compared to the pre-crisis era, while container ship chartering costs have risen fivefold. These increases directly affect manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain resilience.

To mitigate such shocks, experts suggested expanding the scope of the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR). Currently operated by the Indian Navy as a security and naval mechanism, Lakshmanan proposed involving port authorities and customs agencies to track disruptions in trade and commercial shipping through better information sharing.