"WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF ALL ACTIVITIES IN THE IOR"

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has, of late, spoken at length about the Indian Navy's operational achievements, evolving doctrine, and ambitious modernisation drive. From Operation Sindoor and the Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025 to the commissioning of the indigenous nuclear submarine INS Aridaman and the induction of Rafale Marine aircraft, Admiral Tripathi has outlined how the Navy is balancing readiness, resilience, and self-reliance. The following Q&A is based on his detailed press statements and interactions with the media:

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On the theme for Navy Day 2025 — “Combat-Ready, Cohesive, Aatmanirbhar Navy”

This theme represents the Navy's evolving ethos. Combat-ready reaffirms our unrelenting focus on preparedness across all domains—surface, sub-surface, aerial, cyber, and space. Cohesive highlights our jointness, not just within the Navy but across the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and national intelligence frameworks. And Aatmanirbhar reflects our long-term commitment to self-reliance through indigenous shipbuilding, weapons systems, and technological innovation.

Our Navy today operates seamlessly from the Atlantic to the Pacific, protecting India’s interests while strengthening regional security. The message is clear — we are ready, resolute, and rooted in national capability.

On Operation Sindoor and naval responsibilities

Operation Sindoor began as a proactive measure to ensure India's maritime interests remained secure amid heightened regional tensions. It remains ongoing. Following a series of provocations and intelligence indicators, the Navy executed a rapid deployment of the Vikrant Carrier Battle Group into the North Arabian Sea. This aggressive posturing and immediate action forced the Pakistan Navy to remain within its ports or near the Makran coast.

Our ships operated in a high-readiness mode, under the protective umbrella of INS Vikrant, demonstrating sustained endurance and deterrence. For over seven months, we maintained complete situational awareness, effectively denying adversaries the ability to operate freely.

The results were strategic and economic. Pakistani maritime trade reportedly declined by 10-15 per cent, and marine insurance costs for vessels heading to Karachi or Gwadar increased significantly. This is deterrence in action — credible, non-escalatory, and effective.

On coordination with other branches of the armed forces