The United Service Institution of India was founded in 1870 by a soldier scholar, Colonel (later Major General) Sir Charles MacGregor. The story of its growth is the story of the growth of the Indian Armed Forces. It was founded for ‘furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services.’
The project aimed to undertake a net assessment of Chinese ports in the IOR, mapped plausible alternate geopolitical scenarios and recommend policy options and strategic responses for India to accrue a favourable strategic balance in the IOR. The project's scope included an analysis of China’s strategic interests and BRI and MSR in the IOR; India’s role, capacity enhancement initiatives and strategic posturing; and identifying the role of other significant stakeholders. A SWOT analysis was carried out to identify pre-determined elements, asymmetries and competing edges. Finally, policy recommendations were provided for India.