- Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said the Navy constantly analyses threats
- The government, he said, has been quick to diversify the lines of supply
- The Chief of Naval Staff said the biggest lesson is the need for self-sufficiency
The government has diversified lines of supply and the Navy has learnt several lessons from shipping traffic being affected in both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has said.
Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit 2026 on Sunday, Admiral Swaminathan said the Navy is also working towards self-sufficiency.
During a question-and-answer session, NDTV's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal asked Admiral Swaminathan about the challenges and learnings from the two vital chokepoints being largely shut. Live updates here
"One of the things we do is constantly try and recognise the threat environment. The threat environment is changing as technologies, adversaries and geographies change... All the capability that we build is not built in isolation. It is built to address the threats and challenges that we are likely to face," the Navy chief explained.
READ | After Op Sindoor, India's Defence Push Faces A New Test. What Experts Said
"In terms of energy security, the government has been very, very quick to diversify our sources of supply. The Indian Navy's primary responsibility is to make sure that our sea lanes are always safe. So through the wars, there have been many tactical, operational and strategic lessons, but the biggest lesson we have learnt as a Navy - and this is going to be a recurring theme in everything - is that we have got to be self-sufficient," he said.
Admiral Swaminathan said this would not be restricted to defence technologies but would also apply to building and sustaining India's forces.
"The word 'aatmanirbharta' encapsulates everything that we are doing. That is the mood of the nation. That is the mood of the Navy, and I think that is where we will see a lot more thrust in the coming days," he asserted.
READ | 'New Weapons Shouldn't Take Years To Integrate': Air Marshal Tejpal Singh At NDTV Defence Summit
In his address at the event earlier, the Navy chief explained how important the seas are to India.
"India is a maritime nation, which is an economic, civilisational, geopolitical and psychological concept all by itself," he said.
Nearly 90% of India's trade by volume, and over 70% by value, Admiral Swaminathan said, moves through maritime routes. Over 60% of India's GDP originates in coastal states, and about 18% of the population lives within 50 kilometres of the coast.
"India's economy and national growth in this century will be crucially dependent on the seas," he asserted.
