India's maritime security governance challenges: A decade after “26/11”

ABSTRACT Consequent upon the Mumbai attacks between 26 and 29 November 2008 (“26/11”) by Pakistan-based terrorists, the coastal (and maritime) security construct in India witnessed significant developments; perhaps, like no other decade in the history of independent India. As a result, key areas which found particular focus were: strengthening maritime governance by establishing inter-agency coordination mechanisms; capacity-building and capability-enhancement of maritime security agencies; developing Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through electronic surveillance; greater oversight of activities in the maritime domain, particularly fishing; and, an inclusive approach to security by including communities and private bodies in the security-construct. These developments are indicative of a Whole-of-Government (WoG) approach to maritime security. As some major notable reports have indicated, despite these significant developments, challenges to maritime security governance remain. This paper encapsulates some of the salient developments since “26/11” and examines a few key findings from some of the studies, particularly on the aspects of maritime-security governance.