While the British decided to relinquish all their commitments in the Indian Ocean region and to withdraw all their forces from East of Suez, the French showed no such inclination, despite the freedom struggles against colonial rule in many parts of the region. France continued its historical mission and developed new ambitions and interests in the Indian Ocean region. Its presence and commitment in the Western Indian Ocean (and the South Pacific) resulted in Paris playing a significant role in global affairs.
The French presence in the Indian Ocean region added 2.6 million km², constituting twenty-four percent of its EEZ, providing it to explore and exploit the resources in the oceanic waters. Though it is an extra-regional power, the island states have acknowledged France as a resident state in the region.
The volume focuses on understanding how France has continued its dominance in the Indian Ocean region. It examines France’s political, economic, and strategic interests and its relation with the Western Indian Ocean states - Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles, and Comoros. Further, the volume covers France’s role in the Indian Ocean Commission, its policy towards demilitarisation of the region, and its bilateral and multilateral engagements in the region and beyond.
Adluri Subramanyam Raju
, former Dean of International Relations, is Professor & Head of the Centre for South Asian Studies; Coordinator of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh Chair & UGC Centre for Maritime Studies, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry. He was the recipient of the Mahbub Ul Haq Award (Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo, 2003), Scholar of Peace Award (WISCOMP, New Delhi, 2002) and Kodikara Award (RCSS, Colombo, 1998). He was a Salzburg Seminar Fellow (2006). He received the National Best Teacher Award from C.V.S. Krishnamurthy Theja Charities, Tirupati, in 2017 and the Best Teacher Award twice from Pondicherry University in 2013 & 2018. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, Colombo, in May 2012. He was a member of the Steering Committee, G 20 University Connect, appointed by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India & Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi. He was twice a member of the Third Task Force on Blue Economy, FICCI, New Delhi. He is a Coordinator of the University Connect Programme, appointed by RIS, New Delhi. He is an Honorary Adjunct Fellow at the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), New Delhi. He developed an online course (5 credits), India’s Foreign Policy in a Globalizing World, under the Swayam Project, which was introduced in January 2025. He has published 27 books, including edited volumes and 55 articles, delivered about 90 lectures and presented 106 papers at national and international conferences/seminars. His forthcoming publications include Governance and Poverty in South Asia; Emerging India: Maritime Perspective; edited volumes: Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Multidimensional Perspectives; India and the Multipolar World Order; India: A Rising Power; & Routledge Handbook of South Asia: Region, Security and Connectivity.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Tables, Figure and Maps
Introduction
1. French Political Presence in the Indian Ocean
2. French Strategic Interests in the Indian Ocean
3. French Economic Interests in the Indian Ocean
4. France and the Indian Ocean Commission
5. France and the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace
6. France: Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation in the Indian Ocean and Beyond
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Political Science
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