New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for a broader approach to maritime security, emphasising that protecting shipping lanes alone is no longer sufficient. Addressing the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026 in New Delhi on November 4, he urged countries to extend maritime protection to undersea communication cables, ports, offshore energy infrastructure and other critical assets.
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Highlighting the growing dependence of the global economy on the oceans, Singh noted that more than 95 per cent of international digital traffic travels through fibre-optic cables laid across the seabed. Any disruption to this infrastructure could affect communications, financial transactions and essential digital services, making its protection an important security priority.
He also pointed to deliberate disruptions to maritime trade, challenges to freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of narrow maritime passages as growing threats to the international order. According to the Defence Minister, maritime security challenges now extended beyond conventional military threats to include piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, cyberattacks and natural disasters.
Singh stressed that the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific constitute an interconnected maritime space, where the security of trade, energy supplies and digital connectivity affects countries across the region. He called for stronger maritime domain awareness, information-sharing and international cooperation to protect critical infrastructure and respond to emerging threats.
The discussions at IPRD 2026 also focus on maritime situational awareness and the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, including underwater domain awareness and regional cooperation. The Defence Minister's remarks underline India's push for a more comprehensive maritime security framework that safeguards not only the movement of goods but also the infrastructure sustaining the global economy.
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