Asserting that the Indian Navy’s growing strength in the Indo-Pacific region should not be taken for granted, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday asked Naval Commanders to do introspection from time to time and be prepared for every situation in today’s volatile global scenario.

He emphasised the need for a strong naval capability to protect the economic, trade, transport and overall national interests.

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Mr Singh was addressing the second edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference ‘24 in New Delhi. He commended the Indian Navy for playing a crucial role in promoting peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean, terming the region valuable and sensitive in view of the economic, geopolitical, trade and security aspects.

Pointing out that India was once a landlocked country with sea shores, but now it can be seen as an island country with land borders, he lauded the Indian Navy’s readiness towards safeguarding the maritime interests of the country, which has resulted in establishing its credibility as the first responder in the region.

“A large part of the world’s trade passes through the region, which makes it valuable. At the same time, incidents like piracy, hijacking, drone attacks, missile attacks and disruption of sea cable connections in the seas make it extremely sensitive. Our Navy has made a significant contribution in protecting the economic interests of all stakeholder nations of the Indo-Pacific and in smooth movement of goods in the Indian Ocean region. Its anti-piracy operations are garnering appreciation not only in India but also globally. India is now seen as a preferred security partner in this entire region. Whenever need be, we will ensure security in the region,” Mr Singh said.

He reiterated the government’s endeavour to make the Indian Navy more potent by inducting state-of-the-art ships, submarines etc for its capability development, with focus on being Aatmanirbhar. He highlighted that 64 ships and submarines are currently under construction in Indian shipyards, and orders have been placed for 24 additional platforms.

He noted that in the past five years, more than two-third of the Navy’s modernisation budget has been spent on indigenous procurement, resulting in accelerated development of the domestic defence ecosystem.

While he praised the Navy’s indigenisation efforts, Mr Singh exhorted the Commanders to explore ways to further strengthen the resolve of achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’. He exuded confidence that the vision to transform the Navy from a ‘Buyer’ into a ‘Builder’ will be helpful in making it fully self-reliant by 2047.

The minister also spoke on the significance of jointness and optimum utilisation of resources. He stated that while the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard have their own strengths, mandates and ways of working, there is need for more coordination to strengthen the maritime security of the country.