India's top defence leadership has called on the Navy to maintain a high degree of combat readiness and strengthen maritime surveillance as the security environment evolves, with particular emphasis on protecting the country's energy interests amid the continuing conflict in West Asia.
The directives came at the second edition of the Indian Navy's Commanders' Conference 2026, being held at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi from September 29 to October 1. The three-day apex-level gathering brings together the Navy's senior leadership, including operational and area commanders, to review military preparedness, maritime security and future capability development.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan addressed the naval commanders during the conference.
Focus on maritime surveillance and energy security
Singh highlighted what he described as India's growing strategic responsibilities in the maritime domain and underlined the Navy's position as a first responder and preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean Region.
He called for stronger maritime surveillance, improved analytical capabilities and greater operational responsiveness. The Defence Minister also pointed to the increasingly complex maritime environment, including congestion, deception and grey-zone activities, and said monitoring and response mechanisms needed to be elevated.
The situation in West Asia featured prominently in the discussions. Singh highlighted the Navy's ongoing Operation Urja Suraksha and its role in protecting India's energy security and ensuring the safe movement of Indian-flagged merchant vessels.
The Defence Ministry said the operation has involved the safe transit of Indian-flagged merchant vessels, including LPG tankers, through the Strait of Hormuz. In July, Singh had said the Navy had safely escorted 18 merchant vessels carrying essential cargo valued at more than Rs 9,000 crore under the operation.
Singh also stressed the importance of 'aatmanirbharta', indigenous capability development and technology absorption. He linked secure maritime routes with national security and India's development, saying secure seas were integral to a secure nation and a developed nation.
He also highlighted the Navy's wider blue-water role, noting that Indian warships have been deployed in areas including the South China Sea, Mediterranean and Atlantic, reflecting the country's expanding maritime reach.
CDS stresses technology and jointness
General Raja Subramani described the Navy as a "strategic force multiplier" and emphasised the need to accelerate technological transformation in response to the changing character of warfare.
He called for seamless data sharing, greater resilience and sustenance, alongside stronger jointness and integration among the three services.
General Dhiraj Seth also interacted with the naval commanders and shared his assessment of the contemporary security environment. The discussions focused on improving tri-service synergy, interoperability and integrated responses to emerging security challenges.
The interactions with the CDS and Army chief also allowed the naval leadership to exchange views on the evolving nature of warfare, capability development and the growing importance of integrated operations. The discussions reinforced the need for closer coordination and continued exchange of operational lessons to strengthen joint preparedness.
Navy reviews future capabilities
Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, in the conference's inaugural address, reviewed the prevailing maritime security environment and the Navy's operational posture. He stressed the need to maintain a "high degree of combat readiness, agility and responsiveness" while accelerating technology absorption and capability development to meet contemporary and emerging maritime challenges.
The conference will also examine measures to optimise force levels, strengthen combat readiness and speed up capability development.
The remaining sessions are scheduled to cover operations, materiel, logistics, human resources, training, force development and the induction of emerging technologies. The Defence Ministry has identified areas including artificial intelligence, big data analysis, autonomous and uncrewed systems and cyber operations as part of the broader technology agenda for the conference.
The Navy's apex leadership will also assess overall preparedness around the three broad pillars of "JAI" Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation as part of the government's wider objective of building a self-reliant and future-ready force.
The current conference follows the first edition of the Navy's 2026 Commanders' Conference held in April. That meeting had also focused on operational preparedness, the changing geopolitical environment, technology adoption and the Navy's role in safeguarding India's energy security amid the West Asia conflict.
The second edition is expected to provide the naval leadership with a comprehensive review of operational preparedness at the military-strategic level while setting priorities for maritime security and capability development in the coming period.