For a maritime stake

Setting up many domestic shipyards is urgent; India needs to attract potential Asian investors.

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EMPHASISING THE MARITIME sector as an engine for employment and economic growth is a policy plank that aligns well with atmanirbharta (self-reliance). Recently, while commissioning three indigenously built naval ships in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India would not "remain merely a buyer in the defence sector".

He cited the induction of 33 ships and seven submarines into the Navy over the last decade, all but one built domestically. This includes the imposing INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and nuclear submarines like Arihant and Arighaat.

While the Indian Navy currently operates a 135-strongwarship fleet, 39 of them, including eight destroyers and 12 frigates, were built by staterun Mazagon Dock. An earlier plan was to expand the fleet to 250 by 2035.

However, despite some progress made in recent years, that target looks tall.

The policy thrust is not confined to rapidly expanding the naval fleet and indigenising warship manufacturing, but extends to accelerating the pace of commercial fleet development.