India’s navy has launched a submarine, destroyer and a frigate simultaneously.
This underscores the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country’s trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence.
The launch comes as India eyes growing rivalry with China in the Asia Pacific region.
speaking at a commissioning ceremony for the domestically built vessels in Mumbai on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, said that his country was “becoming a major maritime power of the world.”
His country increasingly sees itself competing with China for strategic influence across South Asia. “We’re taking a big step towards getting the navy ready for this century,” Modi stated.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the strategic importance previously dominated by the Atlantic Ocean is shifting to the Indian Ocean. Hence, the region is becoming a centre of international rivalry.
He asserted that India is giving the biggest importance to making its navy powerful to protect its interests.
Amid this competition, India is pushing to modernise its mostly Soviet-era weaponry and expand its defence industry.
In 2024, India spent a record $15bn on domestic defence manufacturing, according to the Ministry of Defence, an increase of some 17 percent on the previous year.
As part of that rising investment, India is rushing to expand its naval fleet. The vessels launched on Wednesday were built by India’s state-run shipyards.
Modi said while commissioning the vessels at the state-run Mazagon dockyard in Mumbai, “The commissioning of three major naval combatants marks a significant leap forward in realising India’s vision of becoming a global leader in defence manufacturing and maritime security.”
Modi noted that India has always supported an open, secure, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
New Delhi has plans to expand its warship and submarine fleet from about 150 to 170 over the next decade.
However, India remains one of the largest arms importers in the world, despite Modi’s efforts to reduce dependence on Russia, its primary military hardware supplier.
New Delhi has also signed major arms deals, and approved India-based defence production ventures, with the United States, Israel and Spain, among others.
India is also in talks with Paris for multibillion-dollar deals to buy French-made Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene-class submarines.
Challenging Situation At Indian Ocean Region
Rahul Bedi, a Defense Analyst opined that the situation in the Indian Ocean region is challenging with the Chinese navy, India’s main rival, growing exponentially.
Bedi said that the INS Vagsheer submarine, the sixth among a French license-built Kalvari (Scorpene)-class conventional diesel-electric submarines, is aimed at replacing aging Indian underwater platforms and plugging serious capability gaps in existing ones. India now has a total of 16 submarines.
He stated that the P75 Scorpene submarine project represents India’s growing expertise in submarine construction in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.
India’s defense ministry is expected to conclude a deal for three additional Scorpene submarines to be built in India during Modi’s likely visit to Paris next month to attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, the first of these boats, according to the Indian navy, is only likely to be commissioned by 2031.
India commissioned its first home-built aircraft carrier in 2022 to counter regional rival China’s much more extensive and growing fleet and expand its indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.
The INS Vikrant, whose name is a Sanskrit word for “powerful” or “courageous,” is India’s second operational aircraft carrier.
It joins the Soviet-era INS Vikramaditya, which India purchased from Russia in 2004 to defend the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
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