Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has stressed the importance of maritime preparedness in the constantly changing global scenario, terming it as a crucial aspect that safeguards the economic and strategic interests of a nation.
Addressing the annual commanders' conference of the Indian Coast Guard on Monday, Singh said there had been a shift in India's maritime security needs due to the ever-evolving global situation.
Referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Singh said the incident “showed that for a long time, the country's orientation was focused on the security of land borders and not much attention was paid to coastal security”, according to a statement issued by the defence ministry. However, the country has not witnessed any terror activity from the sea route since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, he said.
Speaking about the importance that a free and open Indo-Pacific holds for India's maritime security, Singh said the “growing regional and global trade in this region has brought forth new challenges. Geopolitical tensions and clash of strategic interests have led to traditional security challenges. Terrorism, drug trafficking and piracy are some non-traditional challenges in front of us today. The entire region is being affected by these challenges. Being a responsible maritime power, we have a clear interest to create a rule-based, peaceful and stable environment. Such a rule-based environment is essential for both regional and global prosperity. In such a…
