New Delhi, Jan 29 (NationPress) India is establishing itself as a stabilising, norm-reinforcing entity in the Arctic, championing values of openness, sustainability, and multilateralism amid significant global power dynamics in the region.

While India's influence is often overlooked, its relevance becomes apparent when the Arctic is viewed as an integrated system that connects climate, oceans, trade, and governance across various latitudes, as highlighted in a recent report.

“India's involvement in the Arctic is based on science, norms, and diplomacy rather than power or economic gain. Since 2008, the Himadri research station in Svalbard has been pivotal in establishing India’s presence in the polar region, facilitating essential research in cryosphere dynamics, atmospheric circulation, and the connections between the Arctic and the Indian monsoon. These findings are crucial as Arctic warming influences jet streams, heightens weather instability, and impacts monsoon patterns across South Asia. Therefore, the Arctic is key for India's food security, disaster preparedness, and economic sustainability,” noted Sanjay Kumar Verma, a former Indian diplomat, in 'India Narrative'.

“This scientific credibility has fostered diplomatic recognition. As an observer at the Arctic Council, India has exercised discipline and restraint, honoring the sovereignty of Arctic nations and indigenous populations. It has steered clear of rhetorical shortcuts and avoided creating geopolitical narratives to legitimize its involvement. In a region where legitimacy is carefully cultivated, this approach has garnered goodwill,” he added.

Verma asserts that India does not need icebreakers, bases, or overt shows of presence in the Arctic.

Instead, he emphasizes the need for coherence—articulating why the Arctic is significant to India beyond climate research, forging deeper ties between Arctic science and its broader diplomatic strategies, and collaborating with other middle powers to establish common norms.

The report indicates that the Arctic's increasing importance cannot be separated from the larger Indo-Pacific context.

“As Arctic maritime routes transform Asia–Europe connectivity, as polar climate shifts alter weather patterns in the Indian Ocean region, and as governance principles developed in the Arctic start to impact other global commons, the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific are merging into a unified strategic ecosystem. China has already recognized this connection, viewing the Polar Silk Road as an extension of its wider connectivity ambitions. Russia similarly perceives its Arctic strategy as intertwined with its Eurasian and Pacific policies,” it elaborated.

“For nations like India, whose strategic vision is informed by maritime openness, climate risks, and a commitment to a rule-based order, the Arctic is no longer a marginal issue; it represents a far-off yet critical front in a connected geopolitical landscape,” it concluded.