| Publication |
2013.
|
| Summary/Abstract |
At the heart of India's ambition towards becoming a global power is the idea of maritime dominance. The global strategic environment, just like the economic pendulum, over the past decade is shifting inexorably from west to east, which is represented by the increasing presence of the US in the seas to our east. The United States is also rebalancing its resources, especially its naval power in the seas surrounding Asian countries. "This, to my mind, is a development fraught with uncertainty. We don't yet know whether these economic and strategic transitions will be peaceful, but that is the challenge this audience must grapple with institutionally," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cautiously warned at the Combined Commander's conference in November.
"India's growing international stature gives it a strategic relevance in the area ranging from the Persian Gulf to the Straits of Malacca… India has exploited the fluidities of the emerging world order to forge new links through a combination of diplomatic repositioning, economic resurgence and military firmness," stated the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a different event.
The increasing globalisation further emphasises the importance of sea for a country's development. It would be interesting to note that 90 per cent of Indian trade by volume and a bulk of its energy imports happen via the sea route. Over 97 per cent of our energy needs of the oil are either imported or produced from offshore fields. In this age of the sea, the Indian Navy assumes paramount responsibility of ensuring hassle-free trade as well as maritime security for the country. It is also important to ensure friendly and cordial relations with all neighbouring countries which are connected via the sea route.
|