Kolkata, March 6 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday that the risks of instability caused by geopolitical rivalry across land, sea, and air, such as the current tensions in the Gulf region involving the US, Israel, and Iran, are increasingly becoming the new normal.
Speaking at the Sagar Sankalp Seminar in Kolkata on Friday, the Defence Minister spoke at length about the impact of the crisis, considering the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf for global energy security.
“Any disruption in the region directly affects oil and gas supplies worldwide, and hence, uncertainties in the region will significantly impact global trade and economies. Rising geopolitical competition across land, sea, air, and even space is surely a matter of concern. What is even more worrying is that such instability risks are becoming the new normal,” Singh said.
According to him, the current developments in West Asia being highly unusual, it is difficult now to make any specific and firm comment on what the crisis will ultimately lead to.
However, he added, that despite the uncertainties over the geopolitical competition, he is confident that India will provide leadership in the maritime sector. “Self-reliance is the only way out to achieve that, overcoming the supply chain disruptions,” the Defence Minister said.
Claiming that in the current era of global geopolitics, oceans have once again come to the centre of the world's power balance, the Defence Minister observed that as a major maritime nation, India will have to provide leadership with confidence, capability, and a clear vision.
"In the defence sector of the country, high-end and precision technologies are being utilised. Hence, our government has, from the very beginning, believed that in this era of uncertainty, the only way to avoid supply chain disruptions is self-reliance. One of the major pillars of our vision for self-reliance is defence public sector undertakings," Singh added.
He also said that the goal of the Indian government is to make India emerge as one of the top ten global players in the sector of shipbuilding.