The global maritime security environment is facing increasing pressure from deliberate disruptions to international trade, challenges to freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of strategically important maritime chokepoints, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said while addressing the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi.

Speaking at the annual forum on maritime security and regional cooperation, Singh warned that rising instability across the world's oceans is beginning to affect the wider international order. He said certain nations and actors are attempting to exploit the strategic significance of the seas for narrow unilateral advantages, undermining the collective benefits that maritime domains provide to all countries.

Highlighting the central role oceans play in modern life, Singh noted that despite the rapid growth of digital connectivity, the world's dependence on maritime infrastructure remains profound.

He pointed out that more than 95 per cent of global digital traffic is transmitted through fibre-optic cables laid on the ocean floor, making secure and stable seas essential not only for trade but also for global communications.

He stressed that economies around the world continue to rely heavily on maritime routes for the movement of goods and commodities. Factories, farms and urban centres remain dependent on uninterrupted shipping networks, reinforcing the importance of safeguarding international sea lanes.

“Our factories, farms, and the cities continue to depend upon physical flows of the community across the water,” Singh said.

The Defence Minister also underscored the broader significance of the oceans beyond commerce and connectivity. He observed that seas sustain coastal fisheries, play a critical role in regulating the planet's climate systems and contain resources that will be vital for future industrial development and technological advancement.

According to Singh, the international community is fully aware of these shared maritime dependencies. However, he argued that some countries continue to pursue policies designed to leverage control over critical maritime spaces for strategic gain, thereby restricting access to benefits that should remain available to all nations.

“Certain actors and nations seek to exploit the criticality of the oceans for narrow unilateral gain; by pursuing selfish leverage, they seek to deny the shared benefits of the sea to humankind,” he said.

Reiterating his concerns, Singh stated that deliberate trade disruptions, blatant challenges to freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of narrow maritime passages are creating serious pressures on global maritime security.

“Today, the global maritime security environment is strained by deliberate trade disruptions. We see blatant challenges for the freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of the narrow maritime passages. This growing instability in the maritime domain casts a long shadow over the broader international order,” he added.

His remarks come at a time when maritime security has become an increasingly important issue in the Indo-Pacific, a region that hosts some of the world's busiest sea lanes and carries a substantial share of global trade.

The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue continues to serve as a key platform for discussions on maritime security, regional collaboration and emerging challenges affecting stability, connectivity and prosperity across the region.

ANI