On 16 August 2014, Prime Minister Modi inducted INS Kolkata, a 6,800 tonne destroyer, into India’s naval fleet. It is India’s largest indigenously built warship. Sameer Patil, associate national security fellow at Gateway House, comments on the induction of the warship and naval modernisation.
Statement:
“ India needs to be equipped to deal with the challenge of piracy and a growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean region. The recent spate of naval accidents and disasters highlighted the issue of an ageing naval fleet in India, and the need for serious action by the government in New Delhi regarding defence planning and operational preparedness. The induction of INS Kolkata has put the focus back on fleet modernisation.
During the budget announcements, the Finance Minister had expressed that a comprehensive policy will be announced to promote the Indian shipbuilding industry. This policy will hopefully consider the aspect of scaling up the involvement of local private shipyards which have played a small but impressive role in increasing our naval capabilities. The induction of INS Kolkata into India’s naval fleet highlights the critical role played by local shipyards in India.
The government also needs to expedite the setting up of a National Maritime Authority, announced by President Mukherjee in his address to the Parliament in June 2014, to complement naval modernisation.”
For more information or interview requests, please contact Reetika Joshi at joshi.reetika@gatewayhouse.in.