Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has laid down a stark challenge to India’s maritime security apparatus: adapt or fall behind. Speaking at the Indian Coast Guard Commanders Conference in New Delhi, he painted a picture of a threat landscape that’s evolving faster than the tools to counter it. “Maritime threats are becoming increasingly technology-driven and multi-dimensional,” he warned, calling for a “futuristic roadmap” to keep pace.
The stakes are high. India’s 7,500-kilometre coastline, along with island territories like the Andamans and Lakshadweep, is a vast and porous frontier. Traditional threats like smuggling and piracy are now just the tip of the iceberg. Singh highlighted the rise of GPS spoofing, remote-controlled boats, encrypted communications, drones, and even dark web networks as tools of modern maritime criminality. Terrorist groups, he noted, are leveraging digital mapping and real-time intelligence to plan attacks—making old-school surveillance tactics obsolete.
The minister’s solution? A tech-driven overhaul. “We must be ahead of criminals and adversaries by integrating artificial intelligence, machine learning-based surveillance, drones, cyber defence systems, and automated response mechanisms into our maritime security framework.” It’s a call to arms for the Coast Guard, which operates 152 ships and 78 aircraft, to embrace innovation at scale.
This isn’t just about buying new gadgets. Singh stressed the need for “technology-aided vigilance” and “indigenous strengthening”—a nod to the importance of homegrown solutions that can be tailored to India’s unique challenges. The Coast Guard’s track record is impressive: since its founding in 1977, it has intercepted 1,638 foreign vessels, detained 13,775 foreign fishermen engaged in illegal activities, and seized 6,430 kilograms of narcotics worth Rs. 37,833 crore. But the game is changing, and the minister’s message is clear: to stay ahead, the Coast Guard must evolve.
The three-day conference, running from September 28 to 30, brings together the senior leadership of the Coast Guard to tackle these very issues. The focus? Strategic, operational, and administrative priorities in the face of a rapidly shifting maritime security landscape. The Indian Ocean Region is growing in strategic significance, and with it, the need for a forward-thinking, tech-savvy approach to security.
Singh’s remarks aren’t just a wake-up call—they’re a roadmap. The question now is whether the Coast Guard can deliver.