Parliamentary panel flags rising threats, calls for stronger Indian Ocean strategy

Panel report also flags a sharp rise in drug trafficking via maritime routes

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

NEW DELHI: The latest report of the Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Shashi Tharoor, has underscored the daunting challenges confronting India in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The Parliamentary panel cautioned that piracy, contained for decades, is making a troubling resurgence, driven in part by Houthi militant attacks on shipping off the Red Sea. These assaults have forced vessels to divert around Africa, lengthening transit times, raising costs, and increasing vulnerability.

The report also flagged a sharp rise in drug trafficking via maritime routes, with seizures worth tens of thousands of crores in recent years, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the threats facing India.