On Tuesday, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized that the Indian Navy is actively preventing any nation, leveraging its significant economic and military capabilities, from exerting dominance over friendly nations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) or endangering their sovereignty.
The defense minister emphasized that India is fulfilling its obligation in the Indian Ocean Region by offering complete support to the coastal countries.
At the event to inaugurate the new Administrative and Training building at the Naval War College (NWC) in Goa, Singh stated, ‘In the Indian Ocean Region, we have taken measures to reinforce the rules-based maritime order. India is committed to aiding all neighboring countries in the Indian Ocean in safeguarding their autonomy and sovereignty. We have made certain that no entity seeks to assert hegemony in the region.’
The minister also emphasized the shift in addressing threat perception. “Previously, most governments focused on bolstering land borders, neglecting maritime threats. However, given the increased activity of adversaries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the region’s economic significance, it became imperative to reassess our threat perception and appropriately allocate military resources and strategic attention,” he stated. He added that India had not only redefined its role in the IOR but also fortified it. “As a result of these efforts, India has now emerged as the primary responder and preferred security partner in the IOR,” he remarked.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, speaking on the sidelines of the events, characterized the activities in the Red Sea as a consequence of the Israel-Hamas conflict. He mentioned that the Houthis were specifically targeting merchant ships affiliated with Israel, the US, or the UK in the Red Sea using drones and missiles.
“The Indian Navy is providing support to all merchant ships traveling between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean Region. Our primary focus is on vessels flying the Indian flag, but we are also aiding any ship that requests our assistance.
“This situation serves as an illustration of how conflict in one region can affect another, and highlights the presence of asymmetric forces. The imbalance is evident in the cost disparity between conducting an attack and defending against it. The expenses involved in launching a drone or similar attack are relatively low, perhaps ranging from a few hundred thousand to around two to five million rupees, whereas the cost of intercepting and neutralizing such threats escalates into the tens of millions.”
