Paper short abstract:

The question of energy security has slowly but surely occupied the centre-stage of the national security discourse at the turn of the 21st century almost in all the countries of the world, but more so, in the countries aspiring rapid economic growth, like China and India in the recent times. Therefore, a search for new sources of energy has happened to be a stark reality on the part of the latter. Getting access to energy resources in other countries may not always be secure with competing claims over these resources. In this scenario, the Bay of Bengal region is likely to be a major area that would witness such competing claims, and it is needless to say that this region is integral to South Asia’s regional security.

Paper long abstract:

TThe east of the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal is believed to be intrinsically rich in hydrocarbons and minerals. This Bay has not emerged so far as a major oil and natural gas producing area. However, this region has, of late, turned into one of the most explored or extracted offshore or onshore regions. The recent discoveries of natural gas in the offshore areas of Myanmar (in the Gulf of Martaban and off Rakhaine coast), inland and offshore areas of Bangladesh and the Cauvery, Godavari and Krishna basins on the east coast of India have led to generate hope that the Bay of Bengal might become Asia's North Sea in the near future.

As the Bay of Bengal's role as a conduit of vital resources grows, so does the propensity for regional powers to exert their influence in this arena. This is particularly true for India and China, whose rising economies are dependent on the steady flow of imported resources, most importantly oil. The Bay is of vital strategic, economic and maritime importance as the Andaman Sea and the Malacca Straits link South and Southeast Asia. The threat to the ships and containers of vital interest from pirates or from competing and hostile neighbours could not only endanger individual state's security but also South Asian region's security as well. This is the core point that we shall attempt to highlight in this paper.