India preferred security partner in Indian Ocean: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday, “India stands firm as the First Responder, Preferred Security Partner and as a symbol of trust and reliability in the Indian Ocean Region, and the entire world is witnessing the growth of both our strategic position and our strategic responsibility in the region.”
Making these observations while addressing the Indian Navy’s biannual Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi, he also said, “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.”
Rajnath asserted that the presence of Indian warships extends to the South China Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic Ocean, demonstrating our blue-water force capability. The role of the Indian Navy is crucial in ensuring strategic depth and regional power projection, he added.
Highlighting the Government’s commitment to the modernisation of the Navy, he urged the top brass to maintain its unrelenting momentum while transforming itself into a future-ready, combat-ready, and globally respected force.
Lauding the Indian Navy’s role in the crisis in West Asia, Rajnath highlighted that ensuring the safe transit of Indian-flagged merchant vessels — particularly LPG tankers — through the Strait of Hormuz under ‘Operation UrjaSuraksha’ is an outstanding achievement.
India imports approximately 85–90 per cent of its crude oil and around 50 per cent of its natural gas through maritime routes; therefore, the security of sea lanes is directly connected with the country’s economy, energy supplies and defence preparedness, he added.
The defence minister called for a significant upgrade of India’s maritime surveillance architecture, recognising the importance of existing systems. He added that the growing volume and complexity of maritime traffic require enhanced analytical capabilities.
Rajnath described 2026 as a historic year for the Indian Navy, with plans for the induction or commissioning of 18 warships, which would constitute the largest single-year force accretion in the Navy’s history. “The developments reflected the growing maturity of India’s domestic naval shipbuilding ecosystem, while emphasising that further capability enhancement remained necessary,” he said. The three-day apex-level conference, being held from September 29 to October one, brings together the top leadership of the Indian Navy to review operational preparedness, maritime security and future capability development.
