1. Three big water bodies namely; Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal surround India from three sides. Hence, large and natural waterways joining India with other countries have developed since ancient times.
2. India had developed cultural and commercial relations with East Africa, West Asia, South Asia and South-east Asia since ancient times due to her location.
3. After the opening of Suez Canal in 1869, the distance between India and Europe via, sea got reduced by 7000 km.
4. Also, the journey from Asia to Europe reduced by 6500 km due to the ‘Circum Africa’ waterway.
5. The sea routes to east and south-east Asia and Europe via Africa passes through India Ocean. This encouraged the development of trade relation between India and Europe since then.
6. From the east of India, after crossing Malacca Strait in Malaysia and then Pacific Ocean, one can reach Canada and the US.
7. Moreover, the air routes connecting many countries pass through various parts of India.
8. Thus, India has a strategic location.
