Navy must sharpen capabilities to deal with challenges: Rajnath

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said deception and grey-zone activities have made the maritime domain more complex than ever, necessitating the Indian Navy to sharpen its surveillance and response mechanism in the Indian Ocean Region.

“India stands firm as the first responder, preferred security partner and as a symbol of trust and reliability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the entire world is witnessing the growth of both our strategic position and our strategic responsibility in the region. 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 at the Navy’s biannual commanders’ conference.

The concept of grey-zone warfare refers to employing aggression and other actions to achieve national objectives below the threshold of armed conflict, creating ambiguity. His comments come as China attempts to strengthen its hold over the IOR, a strategic maritime expanse where challenges include Beijing’s carefully calculated power play for influence and defending the rules-based international order.

The navy’s role is crucial in ensuring strategic depth and regional power projection, he added.

Singh touched upon the government’s focus on the navy’s modernisation. “The Indian Navy serves as a strategic anchor in the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’. Beyond merely guarding maritime boundaries, our navy strengthens economic protection, regional stability, and power projection,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, the defence ministry in a post on X, said, “At the @indiannavy Commanders’ Conference, Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh stated that the #IndianNavy is acting as a strategic anchor in realizing the resolve of ‘#ViksitBharat2047’. Amidst challenges arising from evolving technology, unpredictability, and geographical proximity, we must move beyond ‘business as usual’ and make geo-strategic thinking and contingency planning integral parts of our preparedness. Our goal is clear, our preparedness must reach the crisis point before the crisis itself reaches our doorstep.”

Singh called the navy’s role in ensuring the safe transit of Indian-flagged merchant vessels—particularly LPG tankers—through the Strait of Hormuz under “Operation Urja Suraksha” an outstanding achievement. Since India imports approximately 85-90% of its crude oil and around 50% of its natural gas through maritime routes, the security of sea lanes is directly connected with the country’s economy, energy supplies and defence preparedness, Singh added.

Singh put the spotlight on the navy’s efforts towards achieving self-reliance in the defence sector. “The Indian Navy’s warship production ecosystem is now meeting global benchmarks. The warships commissioned recently contain over 75% indigenous content. In the times ahead, we must not only meet our own requirements but also export our warships to friendly foreign nations.”

He described 2026 as a historic year for the navy, with plans to induct or commission 18 warships, which would constitute the largest single-year force accretion in its history.