India stands for freedom of navigation, trade & commerce: Rajnath Singh

Hyderabad: Amid growing tensions in international trade and sea lanes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India stands for freedom of navigation, trade, and commerce and a rules-based world order.

Singh in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizag on Saturday also lauded the Indian Navy for providing security not only to the Indian ships but also those from friendly countries, referring to the recent drone attack on a British ship in the Gulf of Aden, which resulted in the oil tankers catching fire and also averting five piracy attacks.

INS Sandhayak, the first of four Survey Vessel Large (SVL) ships, was commissioned into the navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam at this juncture. The commissioning marked the formal induction of the first of the four ships of the SVL Project under construction at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. The project has been steered by the Warship Design Bureau of the navy.

“Many choke points, like the Gulf of Aden, etc., are present in the Indian Ocean, through which a large amount of international trade takes place. Many threats remain at these choke points, the biggest being from pirates,” he said, referring to the navy's prompt response to rescue ships from pirates.

He warned that those involved in maritime piracy and smuggling would not be tolerated, describing it as the pledge of New India.

He praised the navy for averting five piracy attempts and assisting ships attacked by drones and missiles in the past few days, in addition to rescuing 80 fishermen and marines. “The Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean region is facilitating safe trade while ensuring peace and prosperity. Many defence experts are calling this the rise of a superpower. This is our culture—to protect everyone,” he said.

He also emphasised that, with increasing power, India is determined to eradicate anarchy not only from the region but from the entire world. He iterated India’s stand on maintaining freedom of navigation, trade, and commerce among different countries.

“The purpose of our growing power is to ensure a rules-based world order. We aim to stop illegal and unregulated fishing in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region. The navy is stopping narcotics and human trafficking in this region. It is not only committed to stopping piracy but also to making this entire region peaceful and prosperous. INS Sandhayak will play a crucial role in achieving our objective. The intention with which the government is strengthening the navy will realise our destiny of becoming the promoters of world peace,” he said.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar stated that the SVL project highlights the growing importance attached by the government and the navy to the quintessential prerequisite to operating at sea—a survey of the unfathomable depths of the oceans.