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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for a major upgrade of India’s maritime surveillance and response architecture, citing the growing complexity of the maritime domain caused by congestion, deception and grey-zone activities.
Addressing the Indian Navy’s biannual Commanders’ Conference at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday, Singh said India’s growing strategic position in the Indian Ocean Region was accompanied by a greater responsibility to act as a “first responder” and “preferred security partner”.
“Today, issues such as congestion, deception, and grey-zone activities have made our maritime domain far more complex than ever before. Hence, we must elevate our monitoring and response mechanisms to a new level,” he said.
The Defence Minister pointed to the expanding operational footprint of the Indian Navy, noting that Indian warships are now routinely deployed as far as the South China Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. He said the Navy’s blue-water capability was critical to providing strategic depth and enabling regional power projection.
Singh also highlighted the Navy’s role in safeguarding India’s economic and energy interests, particularly amid the continuing crisis in West Asia. He described the safe movement of Indian-flagged merchant vessels, including LPG tankers, through the Strait of Hormuz under Operation Urja Suraksha as a significant achievement.
India imports around 85-90 per cent of its crude oil and nearly half of its natural gas through maritime routes, making the security of sea lanes directly linked to the country’s economic and energy security, Singh said.
18 warships planned for 2026
The year 2026, Singh said, would be a landmark year for the Navy, with 18 warships scheduled for induction or commissioning, described by the ministry as the largest single-year force accretion in the service’s history.
The pace of induction, he said, reflected the growing maturity of India’s domestic naval shipbuilding industry, while stressing that further capability enhancement would remain necessary.
The Defence Minister also highlighted the increasing indigenous content of Indian warships. According to him, recently commissioned warships have more than 75 per cent indigenous content, and the Navy should eventually move beyond meeting domestic requirements to exporting warships to friendly countries.
“The Indian Navy’s warship production ecosystem is now meeting global benchmarks,” Singh said, adding that India should aim to export its warships to friendly foreign nations.
Surveillance architecture under focus
Singh called for a significant enhancement of the Navy’s maritime surveillance architecture, arguing that the rapidly increasing volume and complexity of shipping traffic required greater analytical capability.
The emphasis on surveillance comes against the backdrop of an increasingly crowded maritime environment in which conventional military activity overlaps with commercial traffic, irregular activity and grey-zone operations.
He said the Navy needed to maintain its momentum towards becoming a future-ready, combat-ready and globally respected force, while describing it as a strategic anchor for the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
The Defence Minister also highlighted the Navy’s growing role in international maritime security initiatives.
He congratulated the service on assuming command of Combined Task Force-154 (CTF-154) under the Combined Maritime Forces, calling it an important contribution to cooperative security in the region.
Expanding international role
Singh commended the Navy’s implementation of the “All Ranks, All Roles” approach, particularly the deployment of women officers on frontline warships and aircraft.
He also highlighted the participation of women officers in naval navigational expeditions, including the Navika Sagar Parikrama voyage, as part of the Navy’s efforts towards greater participation of women across operational roles.
The Defence Minister concluded by reaffirming the government’s support for the Navy and its continuing operational commitments across the region.
“If the seas are secure, India will be secure; and if India is secure, the resolve for a Viksit Bharat will be further strengthened,” Singh said.
He also interacted with Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and Chief of the Army Staff during the conference.
The three-day Commanders’ Conference, being held from September 29 to October 1, brings together the Navy’s senior leadership to review operational preparedness, maritime security and future capability development.
