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India is steadily building a blue-water navy capable of safeguarding its maritime interests and countering regional threats.
The Navy’s operational area stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Malacca Strait and from the northern Bay of Bengal to the southern Indian Ocean, reaching the east coast of Africa. A key concern is the combined naval capabilities of China and Pakistan in these waters.
The Ministry of Commerce highlights the strategic importance of India’s seas, noting that 95% of the country’s trade by volume (855 million tons) and 77% by value moves via maritime routes. Protecting these sea lines of communication is critical for national security.
The Indian Navy aims to expand its fleet to more than 200 ships and submarines by 2035, with the possibility of reaching 230 vessels by 2037, a naval officer told TOI.
At present, the Navy operates 140 warships, including 17 diesel-electric submarines (11 of them very old) and two nuclear-powered ballistic submarines (SSBNs).Its aviation wing has over 250 aircraft and helicopters. Plans call for the fleet to grow to 200 warships and 350 aircraft and helicopters over the next decade, accounting for the retirement of aging vessels.
In April, India signed a Rs 63,000 crore deal with France for 26 Rafale marine fighters to operate from aircraft carriers. Simultaneously, India is developing its own carrier-based fighter, the TEDBF (Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter), to enhance its indigenous capabilities. (Economic Times)
