Maritime Friend

A FORCE Report

Addressing the second edition of the bi-annual Naval Commanders’ Conference 2024, on September 19, defence minister Rajnath Singh said that India was once a landlocked country with seashores, but now it can be seen as an island country with land borders. Commending the Indian Navy for playing a crucial role in promoting peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean, a region, he termed as valuable and sensitive in view of the economic, geopolitical, trade and security aspects, the defence minister said that the navy’s readiness towards safeguarding the maritime interests of the country 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 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,” he said.

The defence minister asserted that the Indian Navy’s growing strength in the Indo-Pacific region should not be taken for granted and called upon the commanders to continue introspection from time to time and be prepared for every situation in today’s volatile global scenario. Singh reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led 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 aatman