The Palk Strait as an Emerging Geopolitical Hotspot: Strategic Competition, Infrastructure Interconnection, and Maritime Sovereignty in the Indian Ocean Introduction: The Changing Maritime Dynamics of the Palk Strait The Palk Strait, a shallow and narrow body of water spanning between 25 and 50 kilometers that separates the southeastern coast of India's Tamil Nadu state from the Jaffna Peninsula and Mannar Island in northern Sri Lanka, is undergoing a rapid transition 1 . Long regarded as a localized maritime corridor characterized by small-scale artisanal fishing, sacred pilgrimage geography, and shared Tamil cultural heritage, the strait is emerging as a critical geopolitical hotspot within the broader Indian Ocean Region (IOR) 1 . Situated directly adjacent to major global sea lanes of communication (SLOCs) that connect the Strait of Malacca with the Suez Canal, the Palk Strait sits at the intersection of international trade networks, regional energy security, and major-power st...