Chapter 1: The Foundation of Maritime Power: Infrastructure and Industry
India's ambition to become a formidable maritime power is
intrinsically linked to the strength and resilience of its domestic maritime
infrastructure and industries. These foundational elements are not merely
economic assets but critical components of national security, shaping the
nation's ability to project power, secure its trade, and respond to
geopolitical challenges. The current era is marked by a comprehensive overhaul
of legislative frameworks and the ambitious execution of flagship projects, all
designed to transform India's coastal landscape from a collection of fragmented
assets into a unified strategic network.
1.1 Ports: The Gateway to a Global India
India's port infrastructure, which handles approximately 95%
of the nation's trade by volume, is the backbone of its economic activity and a
vital national security asset. Recognizing this, the Indian government has
undertaken a significant legislative overhaul, culminating in the Indian Ports
Bill, 2025. This landmark legislation replaces the century-old Indian Ports Act
of 1908, aiming to modernize governance, enhance ease of doing business, and
align Indian ports with global standards. The bill mandates that all ports
adhere to international environmental conventions such as MARPOL and the
Ballast Water Management Convention, while also requiring them to develop
detailed pollution control and disaster management plans subject to central
audits.
A central feature of this new framework is the establishment
of the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC), a statutory body chaired by
the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, with representatives from
coastal states, the Navy, and the Coast Guard. The stated purpose of the MSDC
is to foster "cooperative federalism" and iron out differences for
holistic port development. However, this provision has also drawn criticism.
Critics argue that the MSDC centralizes decision-making power at the expense of
state autonomy, forcing coastal states to implement central plans like
Sagarmala and Gati Shakti that may override local priorities. This
centralization creates a fundamental tension: while it promises a uniform and
efficient national framework, it risks sidelining states and smaller operators,
which could impede the flow of crucial on-the-ground intelligence and
complicate rapid responses to incidents at non-major ports administered by
state authorities. This debate highlights how a seemingly administrative change
can have profound implications for the federal balance of power, which in turn
affects India's overall resilience and security.
1.2 The Sagarmala Programme: A Strategic Engine for
Port-Led Development
Launched in 2015, the Sagarmala Programme is the flagship
initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, serving as a key
pillar of India's Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. The program's vision is to
harness India's extensive coastline and navigable waterways to drive port-led
economic growth, aiming to streamline logistics, reduce costs, and enhance
international trade competitiveness. The program is structured around five core
pillars: Port Modernization and New Port Development, Port Connectivity
Enhancement, Port-Led Industrialization, Coastal Community Development, and
Coastal Shipping and Inland Water Transport.
While the program boasts significant achievements, such as
the completion of 272 projects worth approximately $1.41 lakh crore and a 118%
growth in coastal shipping over the last decade, it also faces significant
implementation bottlenecks. Reports from the Standing Committee on Transport,
Tourism and Culture identify a number of persistent challenges, including
delays in land acquisition, a lack of coordination between central and state
agencies, and complex environmental clearance procedures. A crucial issue is
the low utilization of allocated funds, with only a fraction of the budget for
port connectivity projects having been spent. This slow pace of implementation
for an ostensibly economic project has profound strategic implications. The
infrastructure created under Sagarmala—modernized ports and enhanced hinterland
connectivity—possesses a "dual-use" capability, serving both
commercial trade and military logistics. The delays, therefore, are not merely
economic inefficiencies; they represent a significant strategic vulnerability
that can undermine India's long-term competitive standing against rivals and
affect the Indian Navy's ability to rapidly deploy and resupply. The program's
success is a measure of both economic performance and strategic resilience.
1.3 India's Shipping and Shipbuilding Industry
The Indian maritime sector is valued at approximately US130billionin2023,anditisprojectedtoreachanestimatedUS300
billion by 2025. Despite its strategic location on key international trade
routes, India's shipping fleet remains small, accounting for less than 1% of
the world's tonnage. This dependence on foreign-flagged vessels for the vast
majority of its international cargo—over 90% of its export-import cargo is
carried by foreign ships—is a significant national security vulnerability. In
times of geopolitical tension or conflict, foreign fleets could withdraw,
leaving India's supply chains critically exposed.
In response, the government has announced an ambitious plan
to expand the national fleet by at least 1,000 ships within a decade, with the
goal of reducing foreign freight costs by one-third by 2047. Complementing this
is a renewed focus on indigenous shipbuilding, supported by policies like the
updated Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy and the development of
facilities such as the International Ship Repair Facility in Cochin. The
analysis shows that this push for self-reliance in the shipping industry is not
just an economic strategy to save on freight bills. At its core, it is a
national security policy designed to achieve a measure of economic sovereignty
and strategic resilience by ensuring that India can maintain its critical trade
flows regardless of external pressures.
1.4 The Ship Recycling Industry: Economic Engine with
Hidden Security Risks
India is a global leader in the ship recycling industry,
with the Alang-Sosiya yard in Gujarat handling approximately half of all ships
salvaged worldwide. This labor-intensive industry is a vital economic engine,
providing a significant source of scrap steel for the domestic construction
industry and directly employing tens of thousands of workers, with hundreds of
thousands more in ancillary industries. The industry's economic advantages,
such as a large labor supply, low capital investment, and favorable
geographical conditions for the "beaching" method, have historically
made it a profitable destination for end-of-life vessels.
However, these same factors have created a hidden security
risk. The industry's historical reliance on lax regulatory frameworks has made
it vulnerable to transnational criminal activities. This vulnerability was
highlighted by a security and intelligence consortium's discovery of a drug
trafficking scheme where a ship destined for the Alang yard was intercepted
with 1.5 tonnes of heroin hidden in its fuel tanks, allegedly linked to a
Pakistan-based terrorist group. This incident demonstrates that the economic
benefits of the industry are inseparable from its security liabilities. While
the industry is making progress in aligning with international standards such
as the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of
Ships (HKC), with over 110 yards already compliant, the review of security
protocols in light of drug trafficking incidents indicates a deeper, systemic
issue that must be addressed.
Chapter 2: Securing the Seas: Naval Capabilities and
Coastal Defenses
India's maritime security is fundamentally reliant on its
"hard power" and defense architecture, which are undergoing a rapid
and ambitious transformation to match the nation's rising geopolitical stature.
The analysis of naval modernization and coastal defense reveals a strategic
shift from a focus on protecting littoral waters to projecting power and
influence across the Indian Ocean Region.
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