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Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has revealed that the Indian Navy’s aggressive maritime posture during Operation Sindoor not only neutralised Pakistan’s naval options but also inflicted tangible economic costs on Islamabad.
Speaking to reporters during the annual press conference, Admiral Tripathi stated that the deployment of the Indian Navy’s Carrier Battle Group (CBG) in the northern Arabian Sea fundamentally altered Pakistan’s calculus during the May conflict.
“The aggressive posturing and immediate action during Ops Sindoor, of deployment of the carrier battle group (CBG) in the northern Arabian Sea, forced the Pakistan Navy to remain close to their ports or near the Makran coast,” he said. He added, “They never ventured out; that was the role which the Navy played. And as we also reported, the Navy were ready to do what was demanded.” Admiral Tripathi said, emphasizing that the Navy was fully prepared for escalation if required.
Contrary to perceptions that the engagement has concluded, Admiral Tripathi clarified that Operation Sindoor remains ongoing, with the Navy continuing to maintain elevated operational readiness.
“It’s an operation that remains in progress,” he remarked, underscoring that India has sustained a high tempo of surveillance and maritime operations for over seven months after the four-day conflict window in May.
According to him, the fallout of the operation extended beyond military deterrence and directly impacted Pakistan’s economy. He said merchant shipping operators grew increasingly reluctant to send vessels to Pakistani ports due to the risks posed by hostilities, and the cost of maritime insurance surged.
“You also noticed that during the 4-day conflict, it had a noticeable effect on Pakistan’s economy. Some of you are aware that many major shipping companies worldwide have been avoiding ports in Pakistan. It led to a minimising of the number of merchant ships willing to take the risk,” Admiral Tripathi said.
The Navy Chief further elaborated on the scale of the disruption. Responding to a query on the economic pressure exerted on Pakistan, he said, “We have the economic effects. It is in an open domain that all shipping companies refuse to enter Pakistani ports. It was very clear that, by some estimates, trade dropped by 10–15%, and that obviously has an economic effect on Pakistan. It was actually too short a time to have any meaningful effect, but obviously, they must have felt the pinch. If the active operation had continued, like kinetic ops, for a longer time, their economy would have suffered.”
He added that the Indian Navy did not reduce its vigilance after the initial engagements. “For the last 7-8 months after those 4 days, the Indian Navy has continued to maintain a high tempo of operations, including in the emergency and has not lowered the maritime domain awareness so that we can respond to any eventuality and quickly,” the Chief said.
Operation Sindoor was launched on the night of May 7, when Indian security forces struck deep inside Pakistan territory to destroy terror infrastructure in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The strikes resulted in the killing of more than 100 terrorists. Pakistan’s subsequent escalation led to a brief conflict, during which Indian forces destroyed key military infrastructure before a ceasefire understanding was reached on May 10.
Admiral Tripathi’s remarks underscore the Navy’s critical role in shaping the outcome of the engagement at sea and beyond, with its posture yielding both strategic and economic consequences for Pakistan.
Ravi Shankar
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.
