Hon’ble Chief of Naval Staff
Admiral P.S. Das
Distinguished audience
Ladies and Gentlemen

I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all to this talk by Admiral D.K. Joshi, Chief of the Naval Staff at the IDSA.

We are grateful to him for having accepted our invitation to deliver his talk and interact with the strategic community.

I am also grateful to Admiral PS Das for having agreed to moderate the session.

In the recent years the visibility of the Indian navy has grown. The positive role that Indian navy has played in fostering stability in the Indian Ocean region has been well recognized at least since the Tsunami of 2004. It is accepted that the Indian navy has a major role to play in HADR activities in the region.

Indian navy has also played a sterling role in combating maritime piracy.

The Indian navy’s initiative in setting up the IONS in 2008 has been well received. It has refurbished the Indian navy’s credentials as a naval force devoted to maritime cooperation and sharing information to enhance mutual understanding.

In the recent years Indian navy’s maritime cooperation activities have lent a special strength to Indian diplomacy. Maritime security and cooperation have emerged as a leading area of diplomatic activity. Today, the Indian navy’s participation in joint naval exercises with the navies of numerous countries; the port calls all over the world have improved India’s visibility. The navy is being seen as a net provider of security in the region. However, our interlocutors at Track-2 level have shown interest in understanding how far the whole navy can be a net provider of security. These ideas need to be cultivated and developed. The Indian navy is an important component of India’s comprehensive national strength.

The Indian navy has been increasing its presence in all major waters of the world. In recent years, the Arctic Sea is also opening up for shipping and maritime traffic. Countries like China and Japan are acquiring capabilities for passage through the Arctic Sea. It is hoped that one day the Indian navy will acquire suitable capabilities for operations in the Arctic Sea where India’s economic interests are likely to grow in the future.

The CNS, during the talk, will no doubt dwell upon some of these issues. With these words I would like to request Admiral Das to kindly take over and moderate this session.