Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Friday that the focus during his second term would be on further strengthening maritime security and making the presence of India’s naval power in the Indian Ocean Region more effective and robust.

“The Indian Navy is continuously becoming stronger, factored by growing industrial infrastructure. Our shipyards are expanding, aircraft carriers increasing, and our Navy is emerging as a new powerful force. We will give momentum to our efforts in the second term as well. Be it the Himalayas or the Indian Ocean, our priority will be to continuously strengthen the security at the borders,” he said.

Mr Singh added that the government’s focus on land borders and maritime security has a broader vision – to bind the northern and southern parts of the nation in one thread.

The minister was interacting with officers and sailors of the Eastern Fleet during his visit to the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh to review the operational readiness of the Indian Navy. It was his first outstation visit to a defence facility after assuming charge as Raksha Mantri for a second consecutive term.

During the ‘Day at Sea’, he witnessed the dynamic operations of various ships, submarines, and aircraft of the Command, showcasing the combat capability and preparedness of the Indian Navy.

Mr Singh commended the Indian Navy for being operationally ready and emerging as the first responder in the IOR. “Our Navy ensures that no nation suppresses another in the Indo-Pacific region or endangers its strategic autonomy on the basis of economic strength or military power. This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) wherein our friendly countries in the region remain safe and move forward together on the path of mutual progress,” he said.

He also credited the Indian Navy with playing a crucial role in the country’s growth and raising its stature on the international stage. He made a special mention of the Navy’s daring rescue operation in the Arabian Sea in March 2024, when it freed 23 Pakistani nationals from Somali pirates. This operation, he said, was a demonstration of humanity as well as the values imbibed in the Naval personnel, who come to the aid of everyone, irrespective of their nationality.

“It is a matter of great pride that our Navy is ensuring safe trade and promoting peace & prosperity in IOR. Securing free navigation, rule-based world order, anti-piracy and peace & stability in the region are our biggest objectives. The Navy is playing a crucial role in fulfilling them. India, with its increasing power, is committed to making the region as well as the entire world peaceful and prosperous,” the minister said.

He highlighted the Navy’s growing strength which is ensuring the security of India’s maritime borders. He also underlined the fact that India’s commercial interests are linked with the IOR, and the Navy is a means of securing the maritime borders while achieving wider national objectives. He said national interest is of paramount importance to the government, assuring that all possible steps will be taken to safeguard it.