India prefers an equitable maritime order: Rajnath

Visakhapatnam: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that India aspires to establish an equitable maritime order based on international rules and freedom of navigation in accordance with international law and called upon the international community to effectively tackle the evolving complex and interconnected challenges at sea while acting in the spirit of mutual respect and give and take.

Addressing Navy Chiefs and heads of delegations from 74 countries during the inaugural ceremony of exercise ‘MILAN 2026’ hosted in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, the Defence Minister said that the role of navies in international peacemaking has only increased over time.

Even as there has been exponential economic growth during the last few decades, leading to massive increase in international trade and transport, there has also been a rise in contests for ownership of straits and channels, sometimes causing threats of flare up, he mentioned. “Increasing international attention to underwater resources, particularly rare-earth minerals, are adding a new dimension to this tension. In addition, there is a need to guard our waters from the nefarious terrorist activities which are spreading tentacles across countries and regions”, said the Defence Minister.

Rajnath Singh asserted that traditional threats coexist with emerging challenges such as piracy, maritime terrorism, illegal fishing, trafficking, cyber vulnerabilities and disruptions to critical supply chains. He added that climate change is intensifying natural disasters, making humanitarian and disaster relief operations more frequent and demanding. “No single navy, however capable, can address these challenges alone,” he said, underlining the need for enhanced cooperation among the navies to ensure a safer and more secure future. The Defence Minister also said that a robust legal framework by the UN Convention on the Law of Seas (UNCLOS) to address matters related to international waters can be further strengthened through a comprehensive global naval architecture.

Pointing out that the established international order is witnessing an upheaval, Rajnath Singh stated that platforms like MILAN bring together professional expertise, build mutual trust, enhance interoperability, and enable coordinated responses to common challenges.