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India is poised to unveil an updated national maritime security strategy next week, with the document expected to be presented to senior naval leadership during the Indian Navy’s Commanders’ Conference, scheduled from April 14 to 16 in the capital.
The revised Indian Maritime Security Strategy (IMSS), a key document outlining how the Navy plans to operationalise its doctrinal vision, comes at a time of heightened geopolitical churn in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond. Sources indicated that the strategy is ready and will be formally presented during the conference, marking a significant step in aligning operational planning with evolving threats.
The IMSS builds upon the Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025 (IMD-25), unveiled by Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi in December last year. The doctrine, which serves as the Navy’s apex guidance framework, underscores the realities of operating in a “No War, No Peace” environment, with a focus on grey-zone challenges, multi-domain operations, and technology-driven jointness.
While the doctrine lays down the broad principles, the IMSS is expected to spell out the implementation strategy, detailing force posture, operational priorities, and integration across domains, including cyber, space, and information warfare.
Speaking at the ongoing tri-service seminar ‘Ran Samwad’ in Bengaluru, Admiral Tripathi underscored the Navy’s close monitoring of developments in the region. “We are keeping a hawk’s eye on all operations in the Indian Ocean. We have been tracking, in detail, the strike patterns of US aircraft carriers,” he said, reflecting concerns over the expanding footprint of extra-regional powers.
The backdrop to the strategy’s rollout is the continuing tensions linked to the US-Iran standoff, which has put the Strait of Hormuz under strain. The narrow passage, critical to global energy flows, has seen heightened risks, with threats to commercial shipping disrupting traffic and driving up maritime insurance premiums.
Industry estimates suggest that nearly 1,000 vessels have been delayed in the Persian Gulf region amid the uncertainty, raising concerns about global supply chains. For India, the stakes are particularly high, roughly half of its crude oil imports and the bulk of LPG supplies transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
The deliberations at ‘Ran Samwad’, hosted by the Air Force Training Command in Bengaluru, have centred on preparing the armed forces for Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) and integrating capabilities across land, air, sea, cyber, space, and cognitive domains. Officials said the forthcoming strategy reflects this shift, with a strong emphasis on jointness and integration among the three services.
The updated IMSS will replace earlier iterations of India’s maritime strategy framework, reflecting the military’s efforts to adapt to rapidly evolving operational realities. Previous doctrine updates were issued in 2004, 2009 and 2015, with the latest revision seen as a response to the increasingly contested and complex maritime environment.
Officials view the document as a critical component in advancing India’s long-term maritime security objectives, aligned with the broader vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Ravi Shankar, Bengaluru
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
