Narendra Modi’s India is building a new base for nuclear-armed submarines in the Bay of Bengal called INS Varsha in a bid to curb China’s naval footprint growing in India’s backyard. The Bay of Bengal is a critical shipping lane and some China experts believe the waterway could play a key role in any conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea.
The Wall Street Journal examined satellite images to see how INS Varsha has expanded and explores how this project is forming the backbone of New Delhi’s plans to keep Beijing’s ambitions for the region in check.