Since taking over in 2009, the Obama Administration considered Asia to be significant for power cooperation and for establishing an international order based on accepted rules and norms. This started the journey of a much-debated concept that was first called the ‘Back to Asia’ strategy and later re-termed as a ‘Rebalance’ or ‘Pivot to Asia’. In November 2011, then American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in an article titled ‘America’s Pacific Century’, reiterated the importance of Asia-Pacific for the United States (US).

The book records the story of India’s development into a modern maritime nation ready to take on the challenges of the twenty-first century. It also tells us how India has steadily built upon its nascent capacities since the early years of independence. In doing so, it begins by giving a brief historical overview of the Indian maritime tradition.