India is cognizant of the fact that Pacific Island nations are strategically located in the Pacific Ocean, connecting Asia with the Americas. Indeed, the Pacific has been an area of geostrategic interest for countries such as the United States, Japan, China, Russia and others. In view of its aspiration of being a global player, India cannot afford to overlook the region where great powers play politics for their own influence. India considers the region as part of its Indo-Pacific vision, which emphasises a free, open and inclusive order.
India is aware that its economic footprint in this region is low. Its total annual trade with the Pacific Island countries hovers around only $300 million. This needs to be expanded. The largest country for bilateral trade in this regard is the PNG because of its oil and gas reserves. But India is aware that these nations also possess vast maritime resources, including fisheries, minerals, and energy reserves. Being aware that ensuring maritime security in the Indo-Pacific is a shared interest for India and Pacific Island Nations, India has activated engagement with them. Two meetings of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) had been held – in November 2014 in Fiji and August 2015 in Jaipur. The third FIPIC summit was to be held in early 2020 but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally the third FIPIC summit was held in Papua New Guinea in May 2023.
Attended by Prime Minister Modi, it aligned these 14 nations with India’s Act East policy and engaged with the leaders of the Pacific Island nations with a view to foster India’s relationship with them through developmental aid as part of SouthSouth cooperation. Mr Modi unveiled a comprehensive 12-step initiative aimed at advancing India’s collaborations with the countries in the Pacific region. These included FIPIC SME Development Project, Solar project for Government buildings, provision of desalination units for drinking water, supply of sea ambulances, setting up of dialysis units, setting up of 24×7 emergency helplines, and of Jan Aushadi Kendras as well as Yoga centres.
Thus it transpires that India’s development partnership with Pacific Island countries encompasses various areas, including infrastructure development, with a particular emphasis on education, health, and culture. Additionally, community development projects have involved initiatives such as refurbishing libraries and school buildings, renovating colleges, providing IT infrastructure to educational institutions, and establishing digital libraries. India has supported Fiji and PNG by providing indelible ink for their general elections. Notably, an important healthcare initiative, the Jaipur Foot Camp, was organized in Fiji in collaboration with the Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services, and was fully funded by the Indian government.
During the camp, approximately 600 Fijians received customized prosthetic limbs. India has also extended Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to Pacific Island countries on several occasions. Additionally, India has aided various countries during the Covid-19 pandemic by supplying vaccines and medical supplies. India has also supported other projects such as a community sports centre in Ailuk Atoll, an airport terminal on Mejit Island, and community centres at the Arno and Wotje Atolls, all of which provide better infrastructure to the people of Marshall Islands.
In addition to bilateral engagements through the FIPIC, the establishment of the IndiaUN Development Partnership Fund in 2017 has been significant. The fund’s primary objective is to provide assistance to developing countries, with a specific focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island developing states, by supporting sustainable development projects that are based on their specific needs and demands. Since India recognises the importance of Pacific Island countries because of their increasing significance in the Indo-Pacific region, it has prioritised supporting them. This initiative has garnered considerable attention from countries such as China, Japan, the US, Russia, and others. But there is more. India’s development assistance includes setting up a special $1 million fund for adapting to climate change and clean energy. These relate to focus on e-networks to improve digital connectivity, extending visa on arrival at Indian airports for all the 14 Pacific Island countries, cooperation in space technology applications for improving the quality of life of the islands, and training to diplomats from Pacific Island countries.
India has already trained many rural women from eight island countries as solar engineers. During the third FIPIC summit meeting, PM Modi underlined the strategic significance of the region, saying that the small Island nations of the Pacific Ocean are in fact large ocean states, which are connected with India through the ocean. He highlighted some of the development works done by India in the region. These include a Convention Centre in Palau, a waste management project in Nauru, seeds for cyclone-affected farmers in Fiji, and solar light project in Kiribati.
The Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Research Institute (SCORI) has also been established at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji with the help of India. SCORI entails building up a network of marine biology research stations in various island nations in the Pacific Ocean to collaborate on research and capacity building with institutions in India. There was also something in the realm of space cooperation. A website for space technology was launched for national and human development. Through this, respective PICs can download remote sensing data of their countries from the Indian satellite network. These can be utilised for the preparation of respective national development plans. These engagement strategies by India need to be understood against the background and as a counter to China’s expanding influence in the region.
India is aware that Beijing has been actively engaging with Pacific nations through loans, grants, and investments and wants these nations to join with its Belt and Road Initiative. After successfully getting some of the Pacific Island nations to switch allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing through economic inducements, Beijing has also pursued military engagements, including security agreements with countries like the Solomon Islands. India’s outreach to the Pacific Islands nations is in response to that
(The writer is a former Senior Fellow at the Pradhanmantri Memorial Museum and Library (PMML), Ministry of Culture, Government of India)