INDIAN NAVY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC

Few can disagree with Indian Navy Chief- Admiral R Hari Kumar, when he says that among modern day realities, one is the increasing recognition of the criticality of maritime security.

Be it the defence of maritime borders or maritime connectivity for unhindered and safe trade and energy lines or the blue economy overall, it is the Indian Navy that is proudly playing these roles.

Indian Navy is second to none in displaying India’s hard as well as soft power. As a responsible maritime power, with significant capabilities at our disposal, India is endeavouring to be “the preferred security partner” as well as “first responder” in the region, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s overarching vision of “SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region)”.

And, what is more important, the rest of the world is increasingly recognising India’s role as a responsible maritime power. No wonder why flying the Trianga (the tricolor) on our Independence Day (August 15) was a notable achievement for the Indian Navy when it hoisted our national flag on six continents by seven Indian naval ships. This was also reflective of the navy’s ability to deploy far and wide across our areas of interest. It served as valuable signaling to underscore India’s credibility at home, in the region, and across the world.

The Indian Navy has been really hyperactive over the last few months. It has conducted bilateral and multilateral exercises with friendly navies from the United States, France, Japan, Australia, Indonesia and Thailand, to name just a few. It has attended the International Fleet Review in Japan. And all this has been rightly seen as contributing towards the stability in the Indo-Pacific, particularly the vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.