COLOMBO SECURITY CONCLAVE

Date: 3 December 2025

1. Why in News?

• On 20 November 2025, India hosted the 7th NSA-level Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) summit.
• India’s NSA Ajit Doval met his counterparts from:
  • Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Bangladesh (full members)
  • Seychelles (observer, now to become full member)
  • Malaysia (guest participant)
• The CSC is becoming an important forum for cooperation on security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)

WHAT IS COLOMBO SECURITY CONCLAVE?

• CSC is a regional security platform for Indian Ocean countries.
• It focuses mainly on maritime safety, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and fighting transnational crime

How it evolved

• 2011: Started as a trilateral group ? India, Sri Lanka, Maldives
• Later slowed due to political changes
• 2020: Revived as CSC focusing on maritime and non-traditional security
• 2022: Mauritius joined
• 2024: Bangladesh became a full member
• 2025: Seychelles being inducted as full member; Malaysia showed interest

CSC Secretariat ? Colombo, Sri Lanka OBJECTIVES OF CSC CSC focuses on five security pillars plus marine pollution:

1. Maritime Security
2. Counterterrorism & De-radicalisation
3. Combating Trafficking & Transnational Crime
4. Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure Protection
5. HADR (Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief)
6. Marine Pollution Response (additional area)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

A. Stronger Institution

• Appointment of the first CSC Secretary-General
• Progress on a CSC Training Academy

B. Better Operational Capacity

• Joint exercises
• Simulation drills
• Training for coast guards
• Indian hydrographers helping members map their waters

C. Improved Maritime Domain Awareness

• Close integration with IFC–IOR
• Better real-time intelligence and surveillance

D. Blue Economy Initiatives

• Virtual Centre of Excellence (2025) to support sustainable use of marine resources.

E. Growing Regional Trust

• More countries want to join the CSC framework

WHY IS 2025 MEETING IMPORTANT?

1. Expansion

• Seychelles joined as a full member ? shows strong regional trust in CSC.

2. India’s Deeper Engagement

• India is strengthening ties with maritime neighbours, especially as China’s presence in the Indian Ocean is rising.

3. Security Focus The summit highlighted growing importance of:

• maritime security
• joint cooperation
• protecting Indian Ocean trade routes

4. Future Growth

• Malaysia’s participation indicates CSC may continue expanding.

WHY IS IOR IMPORTANT?

Geography

• Extends from Africa’s east coast to Australia’s west coast, including vital sea routes.

Key facts

• 1/3 of the world’s population lives around it
• 2/3 of global oil shipments move through it
• It is India’s trade lifeline
• India has a 4 million sq km EEZ here

Choke Points Important narrow passages like:

• Strait of Hormuz
• Strait of Malacca
• Bab-el-Mandeb

These make the region strategically crucial.

INDIA’S STRATEGY IN IOR

1. Policy Frameworks

• Neighbourhood First
• SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)
• MAHASAGAR Doctrine (2025) ? a broader, long-term vision

2. India as a Net Security Provider India helps with:

• counter-piracy patrols
• fighting illegal fishing
• maritime terrorism
• information sharing (through IFC–IOR)

3. Close Ties with Littoral States

• Especially with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles.

4. Strong Regional Leadership Active role in:

• IORA
• IONS
• BIMSTEC
• QUAD
• IPOI

5. HADR Leadership

• India responds first during disasters.
• Recent examples (2025):
  • Operation Sagar Bandhu in Sri Lanka (floods)
  • Operation Sadbhav in Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam (Typhoon Yagi floods)

CHALLENGES

1. Different Views on China

• India sees China's activities as a security challenge
• Many CSC members see China mainly as an economic partner

This difference affects coordination. 2. Weak Institutional Structure

• CSC works at NSA level only
• No joint budget or permanent operational mechanism yet

3. Domestic Political Changes

• Shifts in Maldives and Bangladesh affect stability
• Anti-India campaigns can disrupt cooperation

4. Overlap with Other Forums CSC members also belong to:

• IORA
• IONS
• BIMSTEC

Lack of coordination reduces effectiveness.

WAY FORWARD

A. Strengthen CSC Institution

• Hold meetings at Foreign Minister level
• Create clearer mandates and stronger political backing

B. Create a CSC Fund To support joint patrols, training, and MDA systems. C. Form Permanent Task Forces Under each security pillar. D. Boost Joint Maritime Operations

• Coordinated patrols
• Anti-IUU fishing missions
• HADR drills

E. Use Advanced Technology

• Satellite surveillance
• AI-based maritime tracking
• Better integration with IFC–IOR

F. Handle China Carefully

• Focus CSC on non-traditional security issues so the group stays united.

G. Link Development with Security Work together on:

• blue economy
• climate resilience
• early warning systems
• fisheries management

H. Controlled Expansion

• Let new countries join gradually as observers first.