India Now a Preferred Security Partner in IOR, Says Rajnath Singh at Naval Commanders’ Conference –

Addressing the second edition of the bi-annual Naval Commanders’ Conference 2024, on September 19, defence minister Rajnath Singh said that India was once a landlocked country with seashores, but now it can be seen as an island country with land borders. Commending the Indian Navy for playing a crucial role in promoting peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean, a region, he termed as valuable and sensitive in view of the economic, geopolitical, trade and security aspects, the defence minister said that the navy’s readiness towards safeguarding the maritime interests of the country 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,” he said.

The defence minister asserted that the Indian Navy’s growing strength in the Indo-Pacific region should not be taken for granted and called upon the commanders to continue introspection from time to time and be prepared for every situation in today’s volatile global scenario. Singh 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.

Singh 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. While praising navy’s indigenisation efforts, Rajnath Singh exhorted the commanders to explore ways to further strengthen the resolve of achieving aatmanirbharta. He expressed confidence that the vision to transform the navy from a ‘Buyer’ into a ‘Builder’ will be helpful in making it fully self-reliant by 2047.

The defence minister also spoke on the significance of jointness and optimum utilisation of resources. He stated that while Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard have their own strengths, mandates and ways of working, there is need for more coordination to strengthen the maritime security of the country.

The second edition of the bi-annual Naval Commanders’ Conference 2024 was conducted from September 17-20 at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi. The conference focused on contemporary security paradigms, and critical analysis to further enhance the combat capability of the Navy and synergise operations with the other Services. It was also meant to delve into the dynamics of the geostrategic situation of the region in the backdrop of international developments and through intense discussions by the senior hierarchy of the navy, formulate a future roadmap to consolidate as a first responder and preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean Region and its steadfast commitment and contributions to the national vision of self-reliance.

The conference commenced with the inaugural address by chief of the naval staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. He emphasised that the conference was the single most important apex-level forum of the Indian Navy to discuss, ideate, and find solutions towards ensuring that the navy remains a combat ready, credible, cohesive & future ready force. The CNS highlighted the flux in the contemporary geo-strategic environment together with emerging disruptive technologies and evolving tactics in the maritime domain. Enumerating the key focus areas for the navy in the short, medium, and long term, the CNS reiterated the need to ensure combat readiness of all naval platforms, equipment, weapons, and sensors underpinned by the singular focus on ordnance delivery on target. The CNS also impressed upon the need to maintain vigil towards ensuring maritime security and coastal defence, through close liaison, synergy, and functional linkages with the Indian Coast Guard and other maritime agencies. He urged the commands and staff at naval headquarters to continue evolving as a well-balanced multi-dimensional seamlessly networked force ready to respond, protect, and promote Indian national maritime interests—‘Anytime, Anywhere, Anyhow!’

Later when the defence minister addressed the conference, he also attended a Tech Demo, organised as part of the event. Various agencies, including Indian Navy’s premier R&D organisation Weapons & Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE) showcased indigenous solutions, including autonomous Systems, domain awareness, software defined radios and other niche tech initiatives. Chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan, defence secretary Giridhar Aramane and other senior civil and military officials were also present on the occasion.

Subsequently, the CDS, the COAS and the CAS also interacted with the naval commanders during the conference sharing their assessments of the operational environment, and outlining readiness levels to defend national interests. They also highlighted areas of convergence amongst three Services vis-à-vis the prevailing operational environment, to enable further integration of the armed forces to collectively meet India’s national security challenges and imperatives.

The conference included a review of major operational, materiel, infrastructure, logistics and human resource related initiatives, and discussions on contemporary and emerging maritime security challenges and mitigating strategies.

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