“A large part of the world’s trade and commerce passes through the Indian Ocean region. Due to geo-strategic reasons, the region is also becoming a part of international power rivalry,” Defence Minister Singh said during the induction of one submarine and two navy ships in the city of Mumbai.
He said 95 per cent of India’s trade, in terms of volume, is linked to the Indian Ocean region. “In such a situation, the presence of a strong Indian Navy becomes our biggest priority,” he said.
India has sought to counter China as Beijing grows its influence in India’s neighbourhood through investments and development projects in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
New Delhi plans to build a 175-ship strong naval force by 2035 with an increasing emphasis on using domestically made components, but analysts say the pace of construction is slow as compared to China, which builds almost 14 warships a year, while India constructs just four.
