Kuala Lampur, May 4 -- The omission of the Maldives from the Mauritius-hosted Ninth Indian Ocean Conference is not a minor diplomatic oversight.

It is a signal - subtle yet unmistakable - that the Indian Ocean is entering a more fragmented and competitive phase of geopolitical re-alignment.

When the brilliant Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian Minister of External Affairs, appeared as a key speaker, the optics conveyed a confident India projecting leadership across the region.

Yet leadership in the Indian Ocean cannot be reduced to visibility alone. It is measured by the ability to hold together a diverse constellation of island and littoral states whose interests, sensitivities, and strategic calculations are constantly evolving.

Ex...