NEW DELHI, Jan 15 (Reuters) - India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized the significance of a robust naval presence in the Indian Ocean region, citing it as the country's top priority amidst escalating international power competition. The absence of specific naming notwithstanding, analysts point to China, with its sizable naval fleet of over 370 ships, as a major security apprehension for India following border clashes that claimed the lives of 24 troops.
UK and U.S., too, collaborate on a military installation on the Indian Ocean's Diego Garcia island. Despite some disengagement between Chinese and Indian troops post an October agreement, India's army chief acknowledged "a degree of standoff" at present. Singh underlined the Indian Ocean's pivotal role in global trade flow and the intensifying international power rivalry, stressing that 95% of India's trade volume is connected to the region, thus elevating the importance of a potent Indian Navy.
In response to China's expanding presence in neighboring nations, India aims to bolster its naval capabilities with 175 ships by 2035, emphasizing the utilization of domestic components. However, the construction pace lags behind China's production of approximately 14 warships annually, with India currently building only four.