Indo-Pacific should remain free from any form of coercion: Rajnath Singh

In a major statement at the recent defence ministers’ gathering, India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh emphasised that the Indo-Pacific region must remain open, inclusive and free from any form of coercion. His remarks underscore India’s vision for a stable, rules-based regional order and its growing role in shaping security architecture across the region.

What was said

Addressing the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) held in Kuala Lumpur, Rajnath Singh declared that the Indo-Pacific region should be “open, inclusive, and free from any form of coercion.” He also reaffirmed India’s support for a regional security architecture led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners. His statement comes amid growing global concern about shifting power dynamics in the region, especially in the maritime and strategic domain.

Why this matters

The Indo-Pacific is a strategic zone spanning the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific. It is home to major sea-lanes, rapidly growing economies and intensifying military activity. India’s insistence on a “free from coercion” Indo-Pacific reflects several key imperatives:

• Ensuring that smaller nations are not pressured or forced into choices by larger powers.

• Protecting freedom of navigation, over-flight and commerce in the seas.

• Encouraging cooperation rather than confrontation among the many states in the region.

• Strengthening the role of regional institutions like ASEAN in managing security challenges.

By publicly articulating this position, India signals its willingness to take on a larger leadership role in regional security, beyond its established role in the Indian Ocean.

What India brings to the table

India’s strategic importance in the region is growing for multiple reasons:

• Geographical: India sits at a key junction connecting the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, which gives it a natural stake in regional maritime security.

• Partnerships: India’s ability to work with many regional players, ASEAN nations, Australia, Japan, the United States, and others, gives it a unique bridging role.

• Values: India’s policy emphasizes sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the right of all states to choose their own path, principles that align with the idea of a coercion-free region.

• Capabilities: India has been steadily enhancing its maritime capabilities, naval presence and defence diplomacy, making it a credible player in the security domain.

Thus when Rajnath Singh speaks about an inclusive Indo-Pacific, he speaks from a position of growing relevance.

What the challenges are

Despite the positive framing, achieving a genuinely free and inclusive Indo-Pacific faces hurdles:

• Coercion and assertiveness: Some states in the region possess significant military might and are active in asserting territorial claims, which complicates efforts to prevent coercion.

• Diverse interests: The Indo-Pacific includes developed and developing countries, with differing strategic interests, partnerships and threat perceptions. Aligning all of them is tough.

• Institutional gaps: While ASEAN and its dialogue partners provide a framework, implementation of security norms and mechanisms remains inconsistent.

• Balance of power: Rising competition among major powers can increase the risk of smaller states being caught in strategic cross-winds.

• Resource constraints: Even regional powers like India face operational, logistical and budgetary challenges when it comes to maintaining sustained presence and deterrence across the vast expanse of the Indo-Pacific.

What to watch for next

Here are key developments to keep an eye on following the minister’s remarks:

• Increased maritime and naval exercises involving India and other regional partners, signalling practical commitment to freedom of the seas.

• Strengthening of ASEAN-led frameworks or new multilateral arrangements in the Indo-Pacific.

• India’s bilateral defence and security partnerships and how they align with the broader vision of an inclusive region.

• Moves by smaller Indo-Pacific states to assert their own autonomy and resist coercion, possibly with India’s support.

• Implementation of “rules-based” mechanisms for navigation, maritime boundaries and incident prevention.

Implications for India’s foreign policy

Rajnath Singh’s statement aligns with and reinforces India’s evolving foreign policy—which emphasises strategic autonomy, regional cooperation and safeguarding national interests with a global outlook. Specific implications include:

• India may double down on maritime diplomacy, partnerships and presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

• India’s relations with powers such as the United States, Japan and Australia may deepen, given the shared interest in a free Indo-Pacific.

• At the same time, India will likely continue to maintain its independent approach, engaging with other regional players including China or Russia without full alignment.

• Defence modernisation, maritime capability expansion and diplomacy will continue to receive focus.

Why the phrase “free from coercion” is significant

The choice of wording matters. By insisting the region be “free from any form of coercion,” India underscores a desire that states not be forced into unwanted agreements, pressured militarily or economically by stronger powers. In simple terms, India is advocating that each country in the Indo-Pacific should have the space to decide its own path without undue influence or aggression. This is more than just a slogan, it reflects a vision of international relations where smaller and mid-sized states are not mere bystanders.

The broader context

Globally, the Indo-Pacific has emerged as the theatre for many strategic shifts: rising power of China, renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific by the United States, increased importance of maritime trade and shifting alliances. In this context, India’s voice matters more than before. The ADMM-Plus platform, where the minister spoke, includes ASEAN member states plus dialogue partners such as India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Russia and the United States. India’s active engagement in such platforms gives it more say in shaping the rules and norms that govern the region.

Conclusion

The statement by Rajnath Singh that the Indo-Pacific must remain open, inclusive and free from coercion is more than a diplomatic line. It is a clear articulation of India’s vision for its role in a changing world. By promoting a region where all states can act freely and without pressure, India is staking a claim as a steward of stability in one of the most dynamic parts of the globe. The road ahead is challenging, but if these intentions are matched by concrete action, India’s leadership in the Indo-Pacific may well be a defining feature of its foreign policy in the coming years.