India’s approach to maritime security must adapt to an increasingly complex threat environment, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said while addressing the Indian Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) in New Delhi on Wednesday.

He stressed that safeguarding traditional shipping routes alone is no longer sufficient, as critical maritime infrastructure now faces a growing range of conventional and non-traditional risks.

Highlighting the expanding scope of maritime vulnerabilities, Singh called for a more comprehensive surveillance architecture capable of monitoring and protecting key assets such as commercial ports, offshore energy facilities, undersea communication cables and other strategically important maritime infrastructure.

He noted that effective maritime security now depends not only on protecting sea lanes but also on maintaining awareness across vast maritime spaces.

“The security of shipping lanes remains essential, but so does the security of ports, undersea cables, offshore energy infrastructure, and other critical maritime assets. The ability to understand what is happening across our maritime spaces has become equally important. The threats may emerge from conventional military activities.

They may also arise from non-traditional challenges, including piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, cyber attacks, and natural disasters. Our understanding of maritime security must therefore evolve with the changing nature of the maritime domain,” Singh said.

His remarks reflect a significant evolution in India’s maritime domain awareness strategy, expanding the focus from sea lane protection to the security of critical infrastructure that underpins economic activity, communications and national resilience.

Particular emphasis was placed on undersea fibre-optic cable networks, which form the backbone of global digital connectivity. With more than 95 per cent of international internet traffic and financial transactions transmitted through these submerged networks, their protection has become an increasingly important national security concern.

The Defence Minister also underlined the importance of securing offshore oil and gas assets, energy installations and deep-water commercial ports, all of which are central to maintaining economic sovereignty, trade continuity and reliable supply chains.

Beyond conventional military threats, Singh pointed to a range of challenges posed by non-state actors and other disruptive forces.

These include maritime cyber attacks, smuggling operations, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities, piracy and climate-related natural disasters. Addressing such threats, he said, requires persistent monitoring, coordinated inter-agency cooperation and agile maritime response capabilities.

The address aligns with India’s broader efforts to strengthen its blue-water naval capabilities and reinforce its strategic presence across the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific.

In recent years, the Indian Navy has expanded its maritime surveillance capabilities through a combination of coastal radar networks, satellite-based monitoring systems, acoustic sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles, enhancing its ability to track activities across critical maritime zones.

By advocating a more dynamic and integrated maritime security framework, India is seeking to uphold rules-based freedom of navigation while ensuring that vital economic and strategic assets remain protected against an evolving spectrum of asymmetric and hybrid threats.

ANI