Paper: GS – II, Subject: International Relations, Topic: India’s relations with great powers, Issue: India-U.S. Subsea Cable Agenda.
Context:
Bilateral commercial engagement between India and the U.S. is deepening beyond trade. Focus is on technology supply chain diversification and resilience.
Key Highlights:
U.S.-India Strategic Technology Cooperation:
- TRUST initiative: TRUST (Technology for Resilient, Open and Unified Security and Trust) framework is a key initiative—successor to iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies).
- QUAD summit: Upcoming Quad Summit (India, Australia, Japan, U.S.) to see further strategic agreements.
Importance of Subsea Cables:
India’s Potential:
- Long coastline: India has 11,098 km of coastline, centrally located in the Indo-Pacific which is key for becoming a regional connectivity hub.
- Strategic location: India is positioned near key global maritime chokepoints such as:
- Strait of Hormuz
- Strait of Malacca
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- It serves as a transit point for Asia-Africa-Europe connectivity.
Current Infrastructure Gaps:
- Regional concentration: India’s 17 international subsea cables are concentrated in 5 cities: Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Tuticorin, Thiruvananthapuram.
- Vulnerability: Mumbai hosts 15 of the 17—creates vulnerability to disruptions.
- Lack of resilience: Lack of redundancy (alternate landing points) = major resilience risk. For instance, in 2024, Houthis attacked Red Sea cables → global rerouting.
- Complex processes: Current licensing regime is cumbersome, requires clearances from over 50 departments.
- Import dependence: India depends heavily on foreign-flagged cable repair ships (mostly from Singapore and Dubai).
Reforms needed:
- Reform licensing and clearance process.
- Encourage U.S. firms to participate in subsea projects in India.
- Prioritise route diversification, cybersecurity, and redundancy.
- Include subsea cable strategy within TRUST framework.
- Leverage India’s digital economy for regional leadership in secure data flows.
- Lower entry barriers for foreign investment in subsea cables.
| Case study of U.S. Involvement:Meta’s (Facebook) planned 50,000 km under sea cable project (announced in 2025) to connect five continents.It was cited in U.S.-India Joint Leaders’ Statement—highlighting future cooperation. |
Conclusion:
Subsea Cables are a Strategic Public Good. It is essential for securing critical infrastructure, supporting data-driven economies and ensuring communications during crises.
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