Subsea Cable Strategy

India and the U.S. are strengthening digital cooperation under the TRUST framework, with a strategic focus on secure subsea cable infrastructure. This aligns with the upcoming bilateral trade pact and Quad Summit, aiming to counter China’s digital footprint in the Indo-Pacific.

Strategic Importance of Subsea Cables in India-U.S. Digital Cooperation

Strategic Dimensions of Subsea Cable Infrastructure

• Critical Global Infrastructure: Subsea cables carry over 95% of global internet traffic, forming the physical foundation of international digital communications, cloud services, and cybersecurity.
• Geopolitical Relevance in Indo-Pacific: China’s Digital Silk Road is rapidly expanding undersea infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific. Trusted alternatives are essential to counter Beijing’s digital influence.
• India-U.S. Alignment through TRUST: The TRUST framework recognizes India’s role as a net security provider in the region and emphasizes collaborative investment in secure and resilient subsea cable networks.

India’s Current Capacity and Strategic Potential

• Infrastructure Gaps and Geographic Imbalance: India hosts 17 subsea cables, far fewer than Singapore’s 26, despite having a 11,098-km coastline. Moreover, 88% of cables converge at Mumbai, increasing risk concentration.
• Natural Advantages as a Digital Transit Hub: India is strategically located near key maritime chokepoints — Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, and Bab-el-Mandeb — making it a potential global subsea cable junction.
• Surging Domestic Demand: India’s bandwidth requirement is projected to grow at 38% CAGR (2021–2028) due to rising internet consumption and expanding data center infrastructure.

Policy Challenges and Strategic Recommendations

• Licensing and Clearance Bottlenecks: The deployment of undersea cables in India requires clearances from multiple ministries. Repair vessels face 3–5 months delays due to clearance procedures, creating commercial vulnerabilities.
• Need for Domestic Ecosystem Development: India currently depends on foreign-flagged repair ships based in Singapore and Dubai. There is an urgent need to build Indian-flagged cable repair ships and domestic depots.
• Strategic U.S. Investments in Indo-Pacific: The U.S. must enhance concessional financing, cybersecurity support, and encourage firms like Meta, which is investing in a 50,000-km subsea cable network connecting five continents via the Indian Ocean.

Practice Question:

Q. Discuss the strategic importance of subsea cable infrastructure in the context of India’s digital sovereignty and Indo-Pacific geopolitics. Evaluate the scope of India-U.S. collaboration under the TRUST framework in strengthening regional digital resilience