By Ashish Singh
It has taken India 14 years since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai to appoint a National Maritime Security Coordinator. However, the groundwork for NMSC to be in place and effective from day one has been long underway. Substantial investments have been made by the governments, both at the Centre and State levels, to augment the coastal security infrastructure. The appointment of the retired Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar (r) to be the first National Maritime Security Coordinator could not have come at a more appropriate time, symbolically, when the Honourable President of India will be reviewing the maritime fleet of the nation off Visakhapatnam on February 21 2022.
The maritime fleet comprising 63 ships and submarines from the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and mercantile fleet, representing the maritime might of the nation, will be reviewed by the Hon’ble President. India will also be hosting its maritime friends during the mega naval exercise MILAN – 2022 also off Visakhapatnam. All these are celebrations of an evolving maritime outlook and increasing sea-consciousness of India and an omen for impending growth of the nation, driven by the economic potential of its EEZ.
A casual look at most of the advanced nations would substantiate that the development index of a nation is obliquely reflected in its maritime infrastructure and capabilities and naval might. Inherently, a nation’s technological, economical, entrepreneurial prowess gives it the confidence to take such strides in the maritime domain, and within India, there has been steady and confident progress in this domain in the last decade or so. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Maritime India Vision 2030’ during the Maritime India Summit in November 2020 with an aim to increase the shipping and port infrastructure of the country. The SAGARMALA project, being coordinated by the Shipping Ministry, is underway in earnest to realise the true potential of India’s shipping sector and ports infrastructure. This is an obvious way forward, considering the unique geographical positioning of India in the Indian Ocean.
In June 2021, the Cabinet had approved the implementation of the Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) steered Deep Ocean Mission, intending to develop deep-sea technologies for sustainable use of resources. The technologies required for the deep-sea mission have strategic implications, and benefits from these would invariably flow to other maritime stakeholders. NITI Aayog set up the Blue Economic Coordination Committee (BECC) in April 2021 to better coordinate the GoI’s vision in the sphere of the Blue economy. All these developments in the last two years are indicative of India’s focus to make its Exclusive Economic Zone a hub of economic activities in the years to come.
The geopolitical uncertainties, especially in the restive Western Indian Ocean, Gulf and Red Sea region, directly or indirectly impact the safety and security of India’s mercantile shipping and seafarers. The economic activities and infrastructure in the EEZ also have a unique risk because of the vast expanse and ease of access. As the nation marches ahead to realise the full potential of its maritime zones, the financial, environmental and psychological impacts of incidents in the maritime domain need to be proactively mitigated. The constitution of NMSC under the NSA would enable multi-agency coordination to evaluate such issues and facilitate the development and implementation of maritime-security policies.
India’s maritime infrastructure, including the Offshore Development Areas on both coasts, has multiple stakeholder agencies that include the national, private and joint venture oil operators, major and non-major ports, including private ports and shipyards. In addition, a multitude of GoI Ministries and departments are active in maritime domains. The constitution of an NMSC under the NSA would facilitate the ‘Whole of Government’ approach to coordinate issues requiring contribution by multiple government ministries, agencies, and public and private sector organisations. The NMSC would provide the critically required focussed coordination mechanism for inter-agency coordination and developing SOPs for a national response to maritime contingencies.
An eagle-eye analysis of developments in the maritime sector highlights that it is now a key focus area of development for the government, and the nomination of an NMSC indicates intent to facilitate cohesive and secure growth. The nomination of an NMSC is a clear indicator of the government’s intent to provide impetus to maritime security as a key facilitator of national development in the maritime sector. It can be confidently stated that India is at the cusp of a revolution in managing its affairs in the maritime domain in a synergistic manner, and NMSC bodes well for the nation.
