Ninety East Ridge and China’s Undersea Research Strategy: Strategic Implications For India

Author(s)	Mr. Shailesh Meghwal
Country	India
Abstract	The rise of China has intensified the rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region. With a major portion of the world's maritime trade routes passing through it, the Indian Ocean’s significance has increased over the last three decades. The Ninety East Ridge (NER), located near the Malacca Strait, has become the region's most strategic area, with China showing increased interest in it. With its civil-military fusion strategy, China is surveying the NER with dual purpose, posing its research vessels as having scientific purposes. The data gathered by it will give China a strategic advantage in a conflict situation, particularly in submarine warfare. This article examines the strategic importance of the Ninety East Ridge, China’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific and NER, and its growing presence in the region; what consequences it will have on India; and probable counter-strategies by India.
Keywords	Ninety East Ridge, Indian Ocean region, Malacca Dilemma, Undersea Research Domain, Submarine Warfare, Fish Hook Sensor, Transparent Ocean Strategy, Civil-Military Fusion, Dual-Use Strategy.
Field	Sociology > Intelligence / Security
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-06-04
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.80383

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