Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the Indian Navy’s growing strength in the Indo-Pacific region should not be taken for granted and called upon the naval commanders to continue introspection from time to time, and be prepared for every situation in today’s volatile global scenario.  This note of caution was in apparent reference to China flexing its muscle in the region.

Making these observations here while addressing the second edition of Naval Commanders Conference, he also emphasised on the need of a strong naval capability to protect the economic, trade, transport and overall national interests.

He commended the Indian Navy for playing a crucial role in promoting peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean, terming the region as valuable and sensitive in view of the economic, geopolitical, trade and security aspects.

Pointing out that India was once a landlocked country with sea shores, but now it can be seen as an island country with land borders, Rajnath Singh lauded the Indian Navy’s readiness towards safeguarding the maritime interests of the country, which 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,” Rajnath Singh said.

The defence minister 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 Aatmanirbhar. He highlighted that 64 ships and submarines are currently under construction in Indian shipyards, and orders have been placed for 24 additional platforms.

He added that, in the last five years, more than two-third of the Navy’s modernisation budget has been spent on indigenous procurement, resulting in accelerated development of the domestic defence ecosystem.