Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called on November 4, 2026, for stronger regional interdependence through supply chain diversification, reliable maritime infrastructure and enhanced cooperation, amid what he described as a strained global maritime security environment. He was delivering the commemorative address at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD), the Indian Navy's annual apex-level international strategic conference, held in New Delhi.
Singh characterised oceans as bridges rather than barriers among nations and civilisations, but warned that certain actors and nations seek to exploit their strategic importance for narrow unilateral gains. "The global maritime security environment is strained by deliberate trade disruptions. We see blatant challenges to the freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of narrow maritime passages. This growing instability in the maritime domain casts a long shadow over the broader international order," he said.
The minister argued that abandoning globalisation in response to disruptions was not the answer, stressing the need to make interdependence more secure and resilient. He identified non-traditional threats such as piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, cyber-attacks and natural disasters as challenges alongside conventional military risks, underscoring that maritime security must evolve accordingly.
On technology, Singh pointed to artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, new sensors, biotechnology and data analytics as developments with significant implications for maritime security, while cautioning that technology alone is not sufficient. He stressed that the Indo-Pacific includes countries at vastly different levels of technological and economic capability. "If technological progress benefits only a limited number of countries, we will not achieve the collective resilience that our region requires," he said, calling for cooperation in research, education, innovation and capacity building.
Singh linked maritime ambition to India's domestic development agenda, highlighting the government's efforts to build a comprehensive maritime ecosystem — including investments in port infrastructure, port-led development under the Sagarmala programme and strengthening of the maritime industrial base — describing the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 as the national blueprint for this transformation. He reaffirmed India's commitment to an open, inclusive and rule-based maritime order through the MAHASAGAR vision and cited the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, announced by Prime Minister Modi in 2019, as a practical framework for advancing maritime cooperation.
On environmental matters, the minister stated that economic development and ecological responsibility must progress together and that oceans cannot be treated as an unlimited source of resources. "National prosperity and ecological responsibility are not competing objectives. They must reinforce each other," he said.
Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Naval Staff, also addressed the conference, highlighting the uneven distribution of scientific knowledge and technological capabilities across the Indo-Pacific and emphasising that maritime cooperation must extend beyond equipment acquisition to building sustainable capabilities.
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