navy-chief-stresses-maritime-power-crucial-for-viksit-bharat

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi highlighted how the world economies are anchored in the sea, further stressing that for India to reach its 2047 ‘Viksit Bharat’ milestone, it must continue to leverage the power of the oceans for trade and economic expansion. Navy Chief’s remarks came while addressing students at the CCL's Darbhanga House conference hall on Friday.  

 

He said that 90 per cent of the world's EXIM trade is done via the seas, and 95 per cent of India's trade volume is carried by sea routes, thus making the oceans the primary medium to achieve the target of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

 

"Viksit Bharat @2047 is no longer just a policy; it has now become a reality, and clear milestones have been set to achieve the target. As we know, 95 per cent of our trade occurs via sea routes, and around 90 per cent of the world's trade volume depends on them. We are geographically blessed as our country is surrounded by oceans on three sides, and it is our responsibility to keep them free from any deterrence," Admiral Tripathi said.  

 

The Indian Navy is the first responder in the Indian Ocean region (IOR) and is being recognised as such by the world today, he said.

 

 

"The blue economy currently contributes only 4 per cent to our economy, which is very small, and it should be augmented to double digits to align with the vision of Viksit Bharat," the Navy chief stressed.

 

India’s 88 per cent of energy requirements also come via sea route, and if crude oil prices increase by USD one per metric tonne, India ends up paying an extra Rs 10,000 crore, informed the Navya Chief, calling this the kind of impact that makes maritime domain security so important.

 

"When an earthquake struck Myanmar, we were the first to reach there with 500 tonnes of relief material, and similarly in Sri Lanka, we delivered 1,000 tonnes of relief material."

 

Warfighting is the Indian Navy’s primary role, but deterrence comes first before reaching that point, and even a small interruption/issue in the sea routes can leave a huge impact, he added.