Parliamentary panel holds comprehensive discussion on India's Indian Ocean Strategy

New Delhi [India], June 17 (ANI): The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on Tuesday discussed India's Indian Ocean Strategy including the idea of the Blue Water Navy.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Chairman of Committee Shashi Tharoor said that Operation Sindoor was not discussed, but some of the elements that became apparent during that confrontation came up in conversations.
Apart from the members, the meeting was attended by Defence Secretary, Secretary (East) in MEA and Vice Chief of Navy.
The agenda of the meeting was 'Evaluation of India's Indian Ocean Strategy' with representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence to give oral evidence for examination of the subject.
Tharoor described the discussion as "outstanding" and said every one of the committee members present asked questions.
"We had an ongoing subject called India's Indian Ocean Strategy, which is a foreign policy subject that has important defence dimensions. We also had the Defence Secretary and the Navy present to brief us. The discussions were outstanding. We spent more than two-and-a-half hours in serious conversation on various aspects, which you will see in the report submitted to Parliament. We were blessed to have the Vice Chief of the Navy, the Defence Secretary, and the Secretary East of the Ministry of External Affairs. It was a very thorough discussion," Tharoor said.
"Every single one of the committee members present asked questions... It's a tremendous sense of involvement in this discussion. We'll have a good report coming out of this very comprehensive discussion... All of this (Blue Water Navy) was discussed... The whole idea of the Blue Water Navy, our military capacity beyond that, everything was thoroughly discussed," he added.
The MPs present at the meeting included BJP's Nishikant Dubey, Arun Govil and RPN Singh and Congress MP KC Venugopal.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) had last month hosted the "Second Blue Talks" in the national capital. The event was hosted in collaboration with the Embassy of France and the Embassy of Costa Rica in India.
India's maritime heritage is deeply rooted in its ancient traditions and rich history, with references to maritime activities found as early as the Rig Veda. Evidence from Indian literature, art, sculpture, painting, and archaeology underscores the existence of a vibrant maritime tradition that shaped the nation's identity.
Modern India's maritime prowess manifests across all domains with its impressive 7,500 km coastline, 13 major ports, and 200 non-major ports, establishing it as an undisputed maritime powerhouse. Indian port's remarkable annual handling cargo capacity underscores the maritime sector's pivotal role in our economic landscape. The maritime sector facilitates around 95% of India's trade volume, and that accounts for 70% of its value, capitalising on the country's strategic Indian Ocean position.
India's Navy is a full-fledged "Blue Water Force with Green Footprint". (ANI)