K.M. Panikkar and The Growth of a Maritime Consciousness in India

Sardar KM Panikkar's life and works form a fascinating narrative encompassing a wide diversity of roles, positions and interests. Panikkar was one of the early writers on the history of India's connections with the Indian Ocean. His seminal historical and literary works have influenced contemporary thoughts and perceptions and played a formative role in orienting independent India's maritime consciousness. Panikkar's emphasis on the need for a well-considered and effective naval policy as critical to India's security needs internalization amongst Indian political elite, policy makers, and academia, as there is a growing realisation of the significance of the Indian Ocean in India's strategic calculus. This volume offers deep insights into Panikkar's understanding and vision of the world and India and seas and oceans, with rich debates on geopolitics of those times, primacy of maritime issues, relevance of these on contemporary geopolitics, strategic dynamics and economic of trade and interdependence.