India ensured no one exercises hegemony in the Indian Ocean Region: Rajnath

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is ensuring that no country with overwhelming economic and military power can assert dominance over other nations in the Indian Ocean region or threaten their sovereignty, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday in an oblique reference to China’s increasing military muscle-flexing.

In an address at an event in Goa, Singh also said India is ensuring that all the neighbouring countries of the Indian Ocean should be helped in protecting their autonomy and sovereignty.

“We have ensured that no one exercises hegemony in the region,” he said after inaugurating a new building at the Naval War College in Goa and virtually dedicating several infrastructure projects in Karnataka’s Karwar naval base.

The defence minister highlighted that due to the Indian Navy’s readiness, India is fulfilling its responsibility in the Indian Ocean Region by providing full assistance to the littoral countries. The readiness with which the Navy stands with the country’s allies provides substantive strength to India’s global values, he said. “India is ensuring that all the neighbouring countries of the Indian Ocean should be helped in protecting their autonomy and sovereignty. We have ensured that no one exercises hegemony in the region,” he said.

In his remarks, Singh also spoke about the shift in dealing with the threat perception under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. “Earlier, almost all the governments focused on strengthening land borders, but maritime threats were not given as much importance,” he said.

“In view of the increased movement of our adversaries in the Indian Ocean Region and the commercial importance of the region, it was necessary to re-assess our threat perception and accordingly re-balance our military resources and strategic attention,” he said.

“Under the prime minister’s guidance, we not only re-imagined India’s role in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) but also strengthened it. Due to these efforts, India has today emerged as the first responder and preferred security partner in the IOR,” he said. Underlining the growing prowess of the Indian Navy on the back of a strong naval industrial base, Singh emphasised that the idea is not to achieve dominance, but to create an environment of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. “The increasing naval power not only protects us from our adversaries, but also provides an environment of security to other stakeholders in the Indian Ocean,” he said.

In a reaffirmation of India’s commitment to enhancing economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the Navy’s pivotal role in advancing the nation’s Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision.

Emphasizing India’s evolving strategic outlook, Singh underscored the transition from a ‘landlocked country with sea shores’ to an ‘island country with land borders’, highlighting the significance of maritime resources and opportunities for India’s prosperity. Singh noted the Indo-Pacific’s emergence as a key trade hub, necessitating heightened vigilance against threats like piracy and trafficking.

Commending the Navy’s efforts in bolstering regional security and mitigating such risks, he urged preparedness for emerging challenges, including recent attacks on undersea cables, which he termed as direct assaults on strategic interests.