Answer: The Indian Ocean, the only ocean named after a country, has a great influence on India's climate, economy and security.
- In summer the Indian landmass gets intensely heated and a low-pressure area forms over it, while the pressure over the Indian Ocean is relatively high. So the south-west monsoon winds blow from the ocean towards the land, carrying moisture, and give rainfall to most of India.
- It moderates the temperature of the coastal and peninsular parts of India.
- Tropical cyclones develop over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean.
- It provides important sea routes for India's foreign trade, as well as fish, minerals and petroleum (e.g. Mumbai High), and gives India a strategic position.