Indo-Pacific Geo Intelligence Forum Kickstarts today. The insightful fora discusses global commons, shared threats, maritime risks, looming space warfare, and how geospatial tech helps disentangle complexities in a strategically crucial region
New Delhi, June 11: The 14th edition of Indo Pacific Geo Intelligence Forum kickstarts on the theme Resilient Multi-Domain Regional Security at Taj Vivanta, Dwarka.
The two-day event will throw light on the combined power of geospatial intelligence, space-based assets, and cutting-edge innovation to tackle emerging threats in Indo-Pacific, which is the fastest-growing region of the world as well as a critical avenue of global trade and commerce.
Lt. Gen AKS Chandele, President, Defense, Internal Security, and Public Safety, Geospatial World, set the tone by emphasizing that the importance of Indo-Pacific cannot be understated.
Sanjay Kumar, CEO, Geospatial World, emphasizes the importance of the Indo-Pacific for the world, particularly the blue economy.
“Indo-Pacific is the region of hope since it is an economic powerhouse, and nearly half of the world’s population reside here”, adds Lt. Gen Rakesh Kapoor, Deputy Chief of the Army Staff ( Information Systems and Coordination)
“Militaries in this region require geospatial tech to gain a competitive advantage over their adversaries. Indo-Pacific is a theatre of rivalries”.
He says that most of the domains – land, sea, air, space – are global commons for growth and development.
“However, the issue with global commons is adherence to laws and governance. This region is characterized by cooperation and collaboration, but competition exists. It is marked by prosperity and progress, but poverty exists”.
Paraphrasing Henry Kissinger from his book ‘The World Order’, he stresses the importance of India to the wider Indo-Pacific region, ‘Whatever be the new world order, the centrality of India remains’.
Key Regional Trends
Lt. Gen Kapoor enumerates the convergence of traditional and non-traditional threats arising from a host of actors.
“Over 35% of global cybercrimes occur within the confines of Indo-pacific geography. Human trafficking, illegal fishing, drugs, and piracy are all on the rise in this region, leading to loss of livelihoods”.
“The next important global trend is the dwindling authority of the international institutions. Nations are building artificial structures. There is a need to strengthen regional structures”.
“Another ubiquitous trend is change in the conflict paradigm, which is non-kinetic. In the Indo-Pacific construct, all of these play a dominant role”.
Contested Realm
Terming space as the new frontier, Lt. Gen Kapoor cautions that there needs to be a mechanism for monitoring everything and ensuring that the geopolitical theories of Halford Mckinder and Alfred Thayer Mahan donesn’t extend to space, which is increasingly becoming a possibility with great power astropolitics.
“Indo-Pacific is stable but sensitive due to economic interdependencies leading to symbiotic relationships and strategic patience. We need to look at convergences, not divergences, and a robust mechanism for adherence to rules and laws”, says Lt. Gen Kapoor.
“Three significant factors should emerge: human security and indices, climate change mitigation, and robust framework for operating in the global commons. India’s stated policy of security and growth for all remains. We are committed to partnerships and mutual engagement so that the complexities of the region can be solved”, he adds.
Vast Domain
“The vastness of the Indo-Pacific, stretching from Gulf of Oman in the west to the US pacific coast in the east, isn’t hidden from anywhere. There’s a strong maritime aspect to the region. Over 50% of the world’s trade and 90% of India’s trade passes from this region. However, the recent maritime incidents are concerning”, says Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Indian Naval Staff.
“There has been a significant increase in piracy and IUU fishing which remains a global menace, jeopardizing livelihoods and economic growth”.
“Contraband smuggling, including narcotics, is also on the rise. Illegal human trafficking is also a serious crime. Maritime incidents such as collision, fire, search & rescue remain some of the most widely recorded in the region”, he added.
“The existence of non-traditional threats requires the ability to detect and act upon them. Geo-strategic landscape of Indo-Pacific has continued to evolve. Ukraine conflict and Israel-Hamas war has compelled extra-regional forces to look at the region. Indo-pacific is also the region of US and China rivalry”
“Surveillance is also a key issue for the region. The impact of modern tech to mitigate threats has never been higher, particularly space-based assets, unmanned systems, data and imagery”
Geospatial is an area where one can push the boundaries. These are critical enablers for maritime domain awareness. Among the latest initiatives by the Indian Navy, NaviC is a futuristic and practical initiative that will allow us indigenous navigation. AI helps us analyze the information being available to us”
Getting at the Root
“There’s a need to get at the nuts and bolts of what affects us. Indo-Pacific is a region that contributes to our GDP and the trade that passes. Hence there’s a need for technologies to counter what you see”, says Gen VK Singh, Former Indian Army Chief of Army Staff,
“We need greater coordination and cooperation to grasp a clear picture. Need to utilize all the utilities and GeoInt applications, from Artificial Intelligence to data”, he adds.
“Indian government’s commitment to invest $8-10 billion in geospatial development over the next five years (excluding defense) underscores its importance. To achieve this, collaboration is crucial for capacity and technology development”, states Sanjay Kumar.
