The maritime defence sector in the country has been making progress at an unprecedented pace, in keeping with the rapid technological advancements happening around the world. Nonetheless, there is still a long way to go, with many more avenues in the sector requiring increased focus as India continues its journey towards self-reliance, or Atmanirbharata, in defence.
The world today is marked by constant conflicts, with the most recent being the stand-off in the Middle East, and the tensions have spilt into the seas as well. While no country wants war, it is also important to build a formidable military power, as deterrence remains the cornerstone of national security. For India, maritime strength is not a choice but a necessity as it helps secure trade, protect interests, and shape the balance of power in the Indian Ocean.
At the ‘Sagar Sankalp – Reclaiming India’s Maritime Glory’, a high-level maritime defence dialogue organised by THE WEEK in association with leading warship maker GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers), and supported by Bharat Forge, Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass), Marine Electricals, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), and Titagarh Rail Systems Limited, various stakeholders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, policymakers, senior military leaders, industry representatives, and subject-matter experts, agreed that India’s history as a maritime nation, combined with the advancements the country has made in technology, give it the required edge when it comes to maritime defence.
The event was held at ITC Royal Bengal in Kolkata on Friday.
Delivering the keynote address, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted India’s rich maritime legacy and the growing strategic importance of the oceans in an evolving global order. The minister pointed out that India had been a major centre of global trade for centuries, with maritime links extending to Southeast Asia, Mesopotamia, and the Roman Empire. Emphasising the need to combine this ancient maritime wisdom with modern technology, he said the maritime domain today is vital not only for trade but also for national security, economic growth, and strategic autonomy.
Underscoring the success of Operation Sindoor as a testament to the fact that Indian security systems are moving in the right direction, the defence minister called for greater technology adoption and institutional synergy to ensure continuity and coordination in achieving self-reliance in defence.
Singh highlighted the global conflicts and the resultant supply chain disruptions, and stressed the importance of self-reliance in defence manufacturing, stating that “in this era of uncertainty, the only way to avoid supply chain disruptions is through Atmanirbharta,” thus setting the tone for the speeches and panel discussions to follow.
Commodore P. R. Hari, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of GRSE, who introduced the theme of the event, noted that India is transitioning from a buyers’ Navy into a builder’s Navy, “to make in India, to make for the world.” He said the last 10 years have witnessed exponential growth in the maritime defence and allied sectors. He called on players in the ancillary industry to ramp up production to help the shipbuilding sector grow at a faster pace.
Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge, underscored the importance of having a robust supply chain system. "We are entering an age of innovation, indigenous design, development, and manufacturing, co-creation, and co-production. The Indian industry must provide niche technologies, from artificial intelligence, surveillance, and unmanned platforms to armaments, to ensure our maritime security and sovereignty remain absolute," he noted.
The speakers of the day—Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, Indian Navy; Commodore Sanjay Deshpande (Retd), Deputy Managing Director, Titagarh Naval Systems Ltd; and Rajesh Kumar, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways—highlighted the many achievements that the maritime defence and related sectors have made in the past few years and called for even greater focus and technological adoption to make India truly self-reliant and achieve the targets set in ‘Maritime India Vision 2030’, and to position itself as a global maritime powerhouse.
Noting that India has immense maritime potential, Minister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur said the government has taken several transformative steps to modernise ports, improve port connectivity, and promote port-led industrialisation. "India stands at a decisive moment in its maritime journey. The vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very clear: to transform India into a global maritime hub and a leading maritime power. The theme of today's event perfectly captures this aspiration through a strong partnership between government, industry, innovators, and maritime professionals," the minister added.
The first panel of the day, chaired by maritime security strategist Abhijit Bhattacharyya, discussed the theme, 'Securing the Seas: Aligning Naval Shipbuilding with Geopolitical Realities', and looked into how evolving geopolitical divides and persistent grey-zone maritime challenges are reshaping force structures and shipbuilding priorities. The panel, which consisted of Vice Admiral Atul Anand, Additional Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, Government of India; Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay, CMD, Goa Shipyard Ltd; Rear Admiral Sujit Baxi, Director General, Warship Design Bureau, Indian Navy; and Sudhir Sahni T.M., Deputy Director General (Material & Maintenance), Indian Coast Guard, examined how India's shipbuilding ecosystem, which includes design, construction, combat systems integration, and lifecycle support, can be leveraged to position India as a credible partner to European and other global navies.
The second panel, chaired by Rear Admiral Amit Bose (Retd.), Director, Indian Maritime University (IMU), and consisting of Commander Shantanu Bose (Retd.), Director (Shipping), GRSE; Biju George, Director (Shipping), Mazagon Dock Ltd; Pankaj Chadha, Executive Vice President, L&T; Commodore Ajay Sharma (Retd.), Vice President, Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd; and Anil Das, CEO & MD, Conceptia Software Technologies, focused on 'Building Sovereignty at Sea: The Strategic Imperative of a Domestic Ancillary Ecosystem'. The discussion focused on why true self-reliance in naval shipbuilding depends not only on shipyards but also on the depth, resilience, and technological maturity of the domestic industry.
The next panel, moderated by Dr Manu Korulla, President, Institution of Naval Architects India, discussed the topic ‘Expanding the Fleet: Enhancing the Range and Scale of Shipbuilding Capability’, focusing on infrastructure readiness, technology adoption, skills, and policy frameworks needed to enhance India's manufacturing capabilities to position the country as a future-ready shipbuilding hub. The panellists—Arun Sharma, Executive Chairman, IRS Ship Classification; Prof. O.P. Sha, Chairman, Naval Research Board; Pradeep Sudhakaran, Chief Ship Surveyor, Directorate General of Shipping; and Pulastya Roy, Director, A.C. Roy Shipbuilders Pvt. Ltd.—looked into opportunities for Indian shipbuilding driven by emerging global trade, the energy transition, and fleet-renewal requirements.
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The fourth and final panel of the day at the maritime defence dialogue, ‘Sagar Sankalp – Reclaiming India’s Maritime Glory,’ explored the theme ‘Destination India: Ports, Policy and Industry in Building a Globally Competitive Shipbuilding & Ship Repair Ecosystem.’ The panel, consisting of Sanjiv Walia, CEO, Shipyards Association of India; Commodore Debesh Lahiri, Advisor, National Centre for Excellence for Green Ports and Shipping; Rear Admiral Baburaj C.S. (Retd)., VP, Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd; and Piyush Singhee, Director, Eastern Navigation, and chaired by Loknath Behera, Md, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd, and Kochi Water Metro Ltd, deliberated on the strategic measures required to position the country as a preferred global destination for shipbuilding and ship repair.
The discussions and speech at The Week-GRSE ‘Sagar Sankalp – Reclaiming India’s Maritime Glory’ stated clearly that India’s maritime ambitions today go far beyond expanding the size of its fleet. They encompass building a robust ecosystem that integrates shipbuilding, ports, supply chains, technology and policy frameworks to make the country a maritime powerhouse.