BUILDING A POWERFUL BUT COST-EFFECTIVE NAVAL FORCE

AMIT GUPTA suggests ways how India can have a navy with a punch that doesn’t break the budget

- AMIT GUPTA

India is facing two serious security challenges. In the realm of human security, India, like the rest of the world, is facing the ongoing challenge of Covid-19 which is going to have a long-term economic and healthcare impact on society. Added to this challenge is the emergence of a twofront threat as China has now become a pressing security concern for the nation and Indian security planners worry about a joint strike by Pakistan and China. In the light of such concerns, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, has started to take practical steps to ensure that defence expenditure is more costeffective and actually strengthens the country’s deterrent capability.

In this context, one crucial move would be to bring naval expansion plans under control and have a 21st century navy that deters maritime aggression but does not bankrupt the country’s defence budget.

Contemporary security challenges