The primary strategic importance of Indian Ocean to India has emerged after the conferment of the EEZ to India of its allotted zone of 2,013,410 sq km with huge repositories of mineral wealth, oil and natural gas, living and non-living resources. This expansive scope of extending India's continental shelf is almost 2.9 mn sq km equaling the landmass of India. India has been conferred with further sovereign rights and entitlements of its sea-bed resources of 150,000sq km of sea-bed in the high seas.
The primary strategic importance of Indian Ocean to India has emerged after the conferment of the EEZ to India of its allotted zone of 2,013,410 sq km with huge repositories of mineral wealth, oil and natural gas, living and non-living resources. This expansive scope of extending India's continental shelf is almost 2.9 mn sq km equaling the landmass of India. India has been conferred with further sovereign rights and entitlements of its sea-bed resources of 150,000sq km of sea-bed in the high seas.