Indian experts have told Sputnik India that Muizzu's state-level visit to China has given clear indications that the new Maldivian administration was seeking to "replace the role of New Delhi in the country with Beijing".
What Drives Muizzu's Geopolitical Shift?
"So, one could say that his efforts are in the direction of trying to replace India with China," Kumar said.
Explaining the shift in Maldivian foreign policy since Muizzu assumed the presidency, the expert recalled that Muizzu has never made a secret of pro-China leanings.
How do Maldives-China Ties Affect Indian Ocean Geopolitics?
What are India’s Options?
Vasan suggested that India will have to work at all levels—intergovernmental, economic, people-to-people, to ensure that it continues to be the country of choice—to ensure its re-gains its strategic primacy in the Maldives.
"India needs to work with the Maldivian opposition as well as with the people of Maldives to regain the trust that we seemed to have lost in certain sections. India must be wary of alienating the Maldivian population because people-to-people contacts are what would ultimately define the future of India-Maldives relations,” the expert said.
"Sri Lanka has started to appreciate India's security concerns in a big way now since New Delhi supported it with financial assistance to the tune of $4 billion during the economic crisis," Vasan asserted.
And, while countries such as Mauritius and Seychelles have their own political dynamics, they are within the scope of Indian Navy's Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) programme,” he concluded.