India eyes a role in Malacca Straits Patrol: Why New Delhi plans to guard one of world’s busiest sea lanes

India secured Singapore’s backing for its interest in joining the Malacca Straits Patrol during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. According to a joint statement, the two countries have agreed to deepen defence technology cooperation in “quantum computing, AI, automation and unmanned vessels” and to enhance maritime security and submarine rescue across the Indo-Pacific. Singapore also “acknowledges with appreciation India’s interest in the Malacca Straits Patrol,” marking a significant shift in regional maritime collaboration.

What are the Malacca Straits Patrols?

The MSP was launched in 2004 by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to curb piracy, terrorism and trafficking in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes. Thailand joined later. It consists of three coordinated layers:

• Malacca Straits Sea Patrol – regular joint naval patrols.
• Eyes-in-the-Sky – combined air patrols for surveillance.
• Intelligence Exchange Group – real-time data sharing among the four states.

Why India wants in

Roughly 60% of India’s seaborne trade and almost all of its LNG imports pass through the Malacca Strait. The route is also a choke point for Chinese shipping, which makes it strategically sensitive. As the Indian Navy expands its footprint in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which is just 600 km from the Strait, New Delhi has sought a formal role in the MSP to coordinate better with littoral states rather than run parallel patrols.

Indian officials argue that, as a contiguous state whose own trade is at stake, India can contribute assets, intelligence and training to strengthen existing patrols. Joining the MSP also dovetails with India’s “Act East” policy and its push for a stronger Indo-Pacific presence.

What’s in it for Singapore and others

Singapore has long acted as the de-facto coordinator of the MSP. With piracy showing signs of resurgence, unmanned vessels and AI-based surveillance now entering service, and grey-zone tactics by non-state actors increasing, littoral states see value in pooling more resources. India’s large navy and its anti-piracy experience in the Gulf of Aden offer additional capacity without undermining ASEAN centrality.

For Singapore, bringing India on board also hedges against over-reliance on any single power, including the US or China, while maintaining an ASEAN-led structure.

Technology and future cooperation

Beyond patrols, the Modi–Wong joint statement highlighted “quantum computing, AI, automation and unmanned vessels” as new areas of defence-tech collaboration. This could see Indian and Singaporean firms jointly developing autonomous surface craft, AI-driven surveillance or quantum-secure communications, capabilities that could feed directly into MSP operations.

Regional and geopolitical impact

If India formally joins, the MSP would move from a purely littoral arrangement to one including a major external stakeholder. That could set a precedent for other interested powers such as Japan or Australia. It also signals a quiet but significant tightening of India–ASEAN maritime security ties at a time when China’s naval presence in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean is expanding.

For New Delhi, participation strengthens its narrative as a “net security provider” in the Indo-Pacific. For the MSP members, it means extra capacity and technology without ceding command to outside powers.