Navy must upgrade maritime surveillance amid rising grey-zone challenges: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (September 29, 2026) called for a significant upgrade of India’s maritime surveillance and response architecture amid growing congestion, deception and grey-zone activities at sea, asserting that the country’s strategic responsibilities in the Indian Ocean Region were increasing alongside its maritime power.

Addressing the second edition of the Indian Navy’s biannual Commanders’ Conference 2026 here, Mr. Singh said India had emerged as a “First Responder” and “Preferred Security Partner” in the Indian Ocean Region and stressed the need to take maritime monitoring and response mechanisms to a new level.

“The entire world is witnessing the growth of both our strategic position and our strategic responsibility in the region,” he said.

The Defence Minister highlighted the Indian Navy’s blue-water capability, noting that Indian warships were deployed as far as the South China Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. He said the Navy had a crucial role in providing strategic depth and enabling regional power projection.

‘2026, historic year’

Mr. Singh said 2026 was a historic year for the Navy, with plans for the induction or commissioning of 18 warships, which would represent the largest single-year force accretion in its history.

He also emphasised the importance of maritime security to India’s economic and energy security, citing the Navy’s role in ensuring the safe transit of Indian-flagged merchant vessels, particularly LPG tankers, through the Strait of Hormuz under Operation Urja Suraksha amid the West Asia crisis.

Highlighting indigenous shipbuilding, Mr. Singh said recently commissioned Indian warships contained more than 75% indigenous content and called for the domestic ecosystem to move towards exporting warships to friendly countries.

He also commended the Navy’s “All Ranks, All Roles” approach and deployment of women officers on frontline warships and aircraft.

Mr. Singh congratulated the Navy on assuming command of Combined Task Force-154 under the Combined Maritime Forces and highlighted Operation Southern Readiness, which involved 276 personnel from 27 countries.

The three-day conference, being held from September 29 to October 1, brings together the Navy’s senior leadership to review operational preparedness, maritime security and future capability development.