India Calls for Stronger Maritime Cooperation and Supply Chain Resilience Amid Rising Indo-Pacific Security Challenges.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Urges Supply Chain Diversification and Maritime Resilience at IPRD 2026.
Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026: India has called for deeper regional cooperation, diversified supply chains and stronger maritime infrastructure to address growing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, underlining the need for countries to work together to protect vital sea routes and strengthen economic and strategic interdependence.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made the appeal while delivering the commemorative address at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026 in New Delhi on 4 November. The annual conference, organised by the Indian Navy in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), brought together senior military officials, policymakers, maritime experts and representatives from across the region to discuss emerging security challenges and opportunities for cooperation.
Addressing the gathering, the Defence Minister said the increasingly interconnected nature of the global economy had made maritime security a shared responsibility. He called for countries to build resilience against disruptions by diversifying supply chains, developing reliable maritime infrastructure, improving maritime awareness and strengthening regional partnerships.
His remarks come amid growing concerns over disruptions to international trade, challenges to freedom of navigation and the strategic importance of critical maritime passages. According to Rajnath Singh, the objective should not be to retreat from globalisation whenever a crisis occurs, but to make international interdependence more secure and resilient.
Oceans Must Remain Bridges, Not Barriers
Highlighting the historical and economic importance of oceans, Rajnath Singh described maritime spaces as bridges connecting nations and civilisations rather than barriers separating them.
Oceans facilitate international trade, support millions of livelihoods and enable the exchange of goods, knowledge and culture. They also provide essential resources and connect economies through shipping networks and maritime infrastructure.
However, the Defence Minister warned that these shared resources and strategic waterways were increasingly vulnerable to unilateral actions by certain countries and actors seeking to advance narrow national interests.
He pointed to deliberate disruptions to international trade, challenges to freedom of navigation and the growing use of narrow maritime passages as instruments of strategic pressure.
Such developments, he argued, could affect not only individual countries but also the wider international economic and security environment.
The message from India was that maritime interdependence must be protected through collective action. Countries need the ability to anticipate disruptions, withstand external pressures and recover quickly when maritime networks are affected.
Supply chain diversification is particularly important in this context. Excessive dependence on a limited number of routes, suppliers or maritime infrastructure networks can expose countries to economic and strategic vulnerabilities during periods of instability.
Maritime Security Must Adapt to New and Emerging Threats
The Defence Minister also emphasised that maritime security could no longer be viewed exclusively through the traditional lens of naval warfare and military confrontation.
While conventional military threats remain important, the maritime domain faces a wider range of challenges, including piracy, human and goods trafficking, illegal fishing, cyber-attacks and natural disasters.
These threats can disrupt shipping, damage coastal economies and undermine the security of maritime infrastructure.
Rajnath Singh stressed that countries must continuously adapt their maritime security policies and capabilities to address this changing environment.
Emerging technologies, he said, were creating new possibilities for maritime surveillance, information processing and operational efficiency.
Artificial intelligence is transforming how large volumes of maritime data are analysed, while autonomous systems are expanding surveillance and operational capabilities. Advanced sensors are improving the ability to monitor ocean activity, and developments in materials science, biotechnology and data analytics are opening new areas for research and practical applications.
However, he cautioned that technological progress alone would not solve maritime security challenges. The real priority should be using technology to address practical problems and improve collective preparedness.
India Warns Against Technology Becoming a Source of Inequality
A significant part of the Defence Minister’s address focused on the uneven distribution of technological capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.
Countries in the region have different levels of economic development, scientific infrastructure and research capabilities. While some possess advanced technological institutions, others are still developing the human resources and institutional capacity required to participate fully in the changing maritime environment.
Rajnath Singh cautioned that technological advances benefiting only a handful of countries would not deliver the collective resilience required by the region.
He called for greater cooperation in scientific research, education, innovation and capacity building, particularly to support smaller maritime nations and developing countries.
The objective, he suggested, should not simply be to transfer expensive or sophisticated equipment, but to develop affordable and practical solutions that address the specific requirements of individual countries.
This could include sharing scientific knowledge, strengthening maritime research institutions, developing technical skills and enabling countries to operate, maintain and upgrade their own maritime technologies.
Such cooperation would help reduce capability gaps while creating a stronger regional framework for maritime security.
Indian Navy Ship.
Maritime Sector Central to India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 Vision
Rajnath Singh also highlighted the importance of the maritime sector in India’s long-term economic transformation and its ambition to become a developed nation by 2047.
The government, he said, was working towards building a comprehensive maritime ecosystem through investments in port infrastructure, improved connectivity, coastal economic development and a stronger maritime industrial base.
The Sagarmala programme is an important part of this approach. It focuses on port-led development, improving connectivity between ports and industrial centres, and strengthening the efficiency of India’s maritime logistics network.
The Defence Minister also highlighted the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which provides a long-term framework for transforming India’s maritime sector.
The vision places emphasis on technology, innovation, research, education and skill development, alongside improvements in infrastructure and industrial capabilities.
For India, maritime development is not limited to expanding port capacity or increasing shipping activity. It also involves strengthening shipbuilding, maritime services, coastal industries, research capabilities and the broader ecosystem supporting ocean-based economic activities.
Economic Growth Must Go Hand in Hand With Environmental Protection
Another important theme of the address was the relationship between maritime economic development and environmental sustainability.
The Defence Minister stressed that oceans could not be treated as an unlimited source of resources. Increasing economic activity in the maritime domain must be accompanied by responsible resource utilisation and protection of marine ecosystems.
He called for coastal communities to remain central to development planning, highlighting the need to ensure that economic progress does not come at the expense of environmental health or local livelihoods.
India’s position, he indicated, was that national prosperity and ecological responsibility should reinforce each other rather than be treated as competing priorities.
This is particularly relevant for island nations and coastal economies that depend heavily on healthy marine ecosystems for fishing, tourism, food security and employment.
Climate change, rising sea levels and environmental degradation are also creating additional pressures on maritime communities, making scientific cooperation and climate preparedness increasingly important.
MAHASAGAR and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Shape India’s Approach
Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India’s commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific.
He highlighted the MAHASAGAR vision, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. The approach recognises that security and economic prosperity are interconnected and that the maritime future of the region cannot be determined by any single country acting independently.
He also referred to the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, as a framework for advancing cooperation across seven interconnected areas of maritime engagement.
Together, these initiatives reflect India’s emphasis on cooperation, regional capacity building and shared responsibility in maintaining maritime stability.
The Defence Minister urged participants to move beyond identifying common challenges and focus on practical outcomes. He called for stronger scientific networks, joint research programmes, exchanges between 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 results.
Navy Chief Calls for Stronger Scientific and Technological Partnerships
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan also highlighted the importance of scientific cooperation and equitable access to maritime technology.
He observed that scientific knowledge, research infrastructure and technological capabilities remained unevenly distributed across the Indo-Pacific.
According to the Navy Chief, maritime cooperation must extend beyond the acquisition of equipment. Countries also need sustainable capabilities that enable them to operate, maintain, adapt and upgrade technologies independently.
He called for greater collective investment in ocean science, improved sharing of scientific data and technology, and collaborative research initiatives, including joint scientific expeditions.
Strengthening existing regional institutions through trust, transparency and inclusive ocean governance was another priority highlighted in his address.
Swaminathan described IPRD 2026 as an important platform for converting shared maritime interests into practical recommendations and strengthening scientific, technological and academic cooperation across the region.
IPRD 2026 Focuses on Climate Resilience and Maritime Awareness
The three-day Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 began on 3 November and featured discussions on several aspects of regional maritime security and cooperation.
The second day focused on two closely connected priorities: developing a better shared understanding of activities at sea and strengthening scientific capabilities to anticipate and respond to environmental change.
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 a National Maritime Foundation publication titled _Alternative Hull Forms for the Future Indian Navy_.
Another 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 Commander 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, currently chaired by the Indian Navy.
A separate session on ‘Oceanographic Science and Climate Resilience’, moderated by Commodore Abhinav Barve, examined how scientific cooperation could improve regional preparedness.
Particular attention was given to Indian Ocean island countries such as Mauritius and Seychelles, where climate resilience and oceanographic information are important for national security and economic planning.
The discussions covered collaborative research vessels, ocean observation networks, forecasting capabilities and arrangements for sharing scientific data.
Senior military officials present at the conference included Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit and former Chief of the Naval Staff and NMF Chairman Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi (Retd).
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From Shared Challenges to Shared Maritime Resilience
The central message emerging from IPRD 2026 was that the Indo-Pacific’s maritime future will depend on more than naval strength or technological advancement.
Protecting international trade, maintaining freedom of navigation, addressing non-traditional security threats and responding to climate change will require sustained cooperation among countries with different capabilities and priorities.
India’s emphasis on supply chain diversification, scientific partnerships, affordable technology and inclusive maritime governance reflects an approach that links national security with regional economic stability.
As Rajnath Singh concluded, countries must move from shared challenges to shared understanding, from shared understanding to shared knowledge, and ultimately from shared knowledge to shared resilience and prosperity.
The challenge now lies in translating these commitments into practical cooperation, stronger institutions and projects that deliver tangible benefits across the Indo-Pacific.
For India, the maritime domain will remain central both to its regional strategic engagement and its ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
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