Viksit Bharat no longer just a policy: Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi

He said that 90% of the world's EXIM trade occurs through the seas, and 95 per cent of India's trade volume is carried by sea routes, making the oceans the primary medium for achieving Viksit Bharat @2047.

Ranchi: Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi on Friday equated Viksit Bharat @2047 to maritime voyage, emphasising that world’s economies, including India's, rely heavily on oceans for trade and growth.

He said that 90 per cent of the world's EXIM trade occurs through the seas, and 95 per cent of India's trade volume is carried by sea routes, making the oceans the primary medium for achieving Viksit Bharat @2047.

"Viksit Bharat @2047 is no longer just a policy, it has now become a reality, and clear milestones have been set to achieve the target. As we know, 95 per cent of our trade occurs via sea routes, and around 90 per cent of the world's trade volume depends on them. We are geographically blessed as our country is surrounded by oceans on three sides, and it is our responsibility to keep them free from any deterrence," Admiral Tripathi said while addressing students at the CCL's Darbhanga House conference hall.

The Indian Navy is the first responder in the Indian Ocean region and is being recognised as such by the world today, he said.

"The blue economy currently contributes only 4 per cent to our economy, which is very small, and it should be augmented to double digits to align with the vision of Viksit Bharat," the Navy chief stressed.

Another important fact is that 88 per cent of our energy requirements come from seas, and if crude oil prices increase by USD one per metric tonne, India ends up paying an extra Rs 10,000 crore, he said, adding this is the kind of impact that makes maritime domain security so important.

He said, "When an earthquake struck Myanmar, we were the first to reach there with 500 tonne of relief material, and similarly in Sri Lanka we had delivered 1,000 tonne of relief material."

The main role of the Indian Navy is warfighting, but deterrence comes first before reaching that point, he said.

He further said that even a small disruption in sea routes can have a massive impact.