Piracy has been acknowledged as a scourge since ancient times and is often referred to as one of the oldest professions. It would be fair to say that it has existed ever since seafaring began. In many historical studies Piracy has also been viewed through different political prisms and, often, invested with romantic, adventurous halo. However, viewed through a contemporary maritime lens, piracy often tells a different story. A case in point, in recent times, is the piracy off the coast of Somalia which attracted a lot of global attention. This peaked in the period 2008 to 2012 and while at a very low simmer now, is still an area of concern. India was in the lead in responding to this challenge with the Indian Navy playing a very important role. The author was at that time posted in the High Commission of India, Nairobi, Kenya with concurrent accreditation to Somalia from Oct 2008 to Mar 2012 and, thus, had a ringside view of many facets of the piracy phenomenon. In the talk Cmde Srikant Kesnur will attempt to discuss several aspects and nuances of the piracy off Somalia. He will attempt to highlight the political, economic, legal, human and military aspects of this ‘enterprise’ and in doing so also aim to give maritime enthusiasts, who are not practicing seafarers, a broad overview of the complexities that obtain in the maritime domain.