| Summary/Abstract |
The two key tenets of India’s grand strategy to emerge as the leading power in 21st century are; firstly, to ensure its primacy in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and; secondly, the need to maintain its strategic autonomy. India’s geopolitical imperatives, however, dictate that before India can extend its reach to distant corners of the world, it must first consolidate its standing in its own neighbourhood. And to do that, it must contend with the mounting challenge posed by its principal strategic competitor: China. Therefore, the ‘neighbourhood’ has always been an important aspect of India’s foreign policy. Within the construct of India’s Maritime Strategy, India-Maldives relations assume significance far more than the size or the national strength of the country. While Maldives’ relationships with India have generally been stable, this situation changed after the removal of the then President Mohamed Nasheed from power in February 2012 which led to a complex power play in the IOR. For past many years, India has been trying hard to regain stability in its bilateral relations with Maldives but has achieved only mixed results; the rough patch now seems to be behind us after the victory of President Solih.
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