Rajnath Singh calls for resilient maritime supply chains, stronger Indo-Pacific cooperation
By Aroonim Bhuyan
New Delhi, Nov 4. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for greater cooperation among Indo-Pacific countries to strengthen maritime security and make regional supply chains more resilient amid growing disruptions to global trade, challenges to freedom of navigation and the increasing weaponisation of strategic maritime passages.
Addressing the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026 here on November 4, the Indian Navy’s annual apex-level international strategic conference in New Delhi, Singh said countries needed to diversify supply chains, develop reliable maritime infrastructure, improve maritime domain awareness and build the capacity to anticipate, withstand and recover from disruptions.
He cautioned that the growing instability in the maritime domain was casting a shadow over the broader international order, with certain countries seeking to exploit the strategic importance of oceans for narrow unilateral gains.
Describing oceans as bridges rather than barriers connecting nations and civilisations, the Defence Minister said they sustained livelihoods and facilitated the exchange of goods, knowledge and culture. However, he pointed out that deliberate disruptions to trade, challenges to freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of narrow maritime passages were placing increasing strain on the global maritime security environment.
Singh said the vulnerabilities arising from an interconnected world could not be addressed by abandoning globalisation or closing maritime spaces. Instead, countries needed to make their interdependence more secure through cooperation and collective resilience.
Highlighting the changing nature of maritime threats, he said security challenges were no longer confined to conventional military activities but also included piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, cyberattacks and natural disasters.
He noted that emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, autonomous systems, advanced sensors, biotechnology and data analytics, were transforming maritime surveillance, operations and economic activities. However, he cautioned that technology alone could not address maritime challenges and stressed the need to deploy it in ways that responded to practical requirements.
The Defence Minister also warned against the possibility of technological progress widening inequalities among Indo-Pacific countries, given their varying levels of economic development, research infrastructure and institutional capabilities.
Stressing the importance of inclusive technological development, he called for greater cooperation in research, education, innovation and capacity building. Scientific advances in one country, he said, could contribute to the security and prosperity of the entire region, particularly when shared with smaller maritime nations and developing economies.
Singh observed that the most useful technology was not necessarily the most expensive or sophisticated, but one capable of addressing real-world challenges.
Linking maritime development with India’s long-term economic ambitions, he said the maritime domain would play a crucial role in the country’s transformation into a developed nation by 2047.
He highlighted the government’s initiatives to build a comprehensive maritime ecosystem through investments in port infrastructure and connectivity, port-led development under the Sagarmala programme, promotion of coastal economic activities and strengthening of the maritime industrial base.
The Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, he said, provided the national roadmap for this transformation, with a focus on technology, innovation, research, education and skill development.
Singh also stressed that economic growth must go hand in hand with environmental protection. He called for safeguarding marine ecosystems, ensuring responsible utilisation of ocean resources and placing coastal communities at the centre of maritime development.
“National prosperity and ecological responsibility are not competing objectives. They must reinforce each other,” he said.
Reaffirming India’s commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order, the Defence Minister highlighted the government’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision which recognises the close links between security and prosperity among nations.
He said the maritime future of the Indo-Pacific could not be shaped by any single country acting independently. In this context, he described the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, as a practical framework for advancing cooperation across seven interconnected areas.
Calling for concrete outcomes from the regional dialogue, Singh urged participants to move beyond identifying common challenges and focus on developing practical partnerships. He proposed stronger scientific networks, joint research initiatives, exchanges among universities and maritime institutions, and the development of affordable technological solutions.
He emphasised that discussions at the IPRD should translate into partnerships, projects and measurable outcomes, reiterating India’s willingness to contribute to collective efforts to strengthen regional maritime security and prosperity.
“The future of the Indo-Pacific will not be shaped by technology alone. It will be shaped by the wisdom with which we use that technology, the partnerships we build and the confidence we create among nations,” he said.
In his address, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan underlined the interconnected nature of the oceans and the disparities in scientific knowledge, research infrastructure and technological capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.
He said maritime cooperation needed to extend beyond the acquisition of equipment to developing sustainable capabilities that would enable partner countries to operate, maintain, adapt and upgrade technologies independently.
The Navy chief called for greater collective investment in ocean science and research, wider sharing of scientific data and technology, and collaborative research initiatives, including joint scientific expeditions. He also stressed the need to strengthen existing regional institutions and mechanisms through trust, transparency and inclusive ocean governance.
Swaminathan described the IPRD as an important platform for translating shared maritime interests into practical initiatives and developing forward-looking recommendations to strengthen scientific, technological and academic cooperation across the region.
The three-day IPRD 2026, organised by the Indian Navy in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), began on November 3. The second day of the conference focused on strengthening regional maritime resilience through a better shared understanding of activities at sea and enhanced scientific capabilities to anticipate and respond to environmental changes.
A ministerial session featured a special address by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh, who also released an NMF publication titled Alternative Hull Forms for the Future Indian Navy.
Another key session, titled ‘Perspectives from the Flag Bridge’, brought together former Indian Navy chiefs Admiral RK Dhowan, Admiral Sunil Lanba, Admiral Karambir Singh and Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, along with former Sri Lanka Navy chief Admiral Jayantha Perera. Hosted by NMF Director General Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, the discussion examined the relationship between maritime strategy, technological change and regional cooperation, including naval collaboration under the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), currently chaired by the Indian Navy.
A separate session on ‘Oceanographic Science and Climate Resilience’, moderated by Commodore Abhinav Barve of the Indian Navy, examined the role of scientific cooperation in strengthening regional preparedness. Discussions focused particularly on climate resilience among Indian Ocean island states such as Mauritius and Seychelles.
Participants also discussed translating oceanographic research into policy, sharing ocean data and strengthening cooperation involving research vessels, observation networks, forecasting capabilities and appropriate data-sharing arrangements.
Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit and former Navy chief and NMF Chairman Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi (Retd) were among the dignitaries present.
The deliberations at IPRD 2026 sought to provide strategic direction to regional maritime cooperation, with an emphasis on combining security, scientific research, technological innovation and environmental sustainability to build a more resilient Indo-Pacific.
