India has highlighted the Indian Navy’s expanding role in ensuring maritime security as piracy and attacks rise across the Western Arabian Sea.
At a United Nations Security Council session on maritime safety, India’s Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish credited the Navy with saving hundreds of lives through rapid and high-risk missions.
Harish spoke during the discussion on “Maritime Safety and Security: Protection of Seafarers.” He said the Navy’s timely interventions have protected sailors of many nationalities. “The credible and swift actions of the Indian Navy have saved more than 520 lives, irrespective of nationality,” he said.
He detailed the Navy’s response to growing threats along critical shipping lanes, saying that over the last two years, in response to shipping attacks and rising incidents of piracy in the Western Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy had deployed over 35 ships in the region, conducted more than 1,000 boarding operations, and responded to over 35 incidents.
Harish told the Council that since November 2023, the Navy had safely escorted over 367 merchant vessels carrying more than 14.7 million metric tonnes of cargo valued at over 6.3 billion dollars.
The meeting was co-hosted by Greece, the Philippines, Denmark, Japan, Panama, and Romania.
It came at a time when instability has increased at sea due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and new piracy attempts off the Somalia coast. These disruptions have put shipping routes and thousands of seafarers at risk.
Harish also highlighted the work of the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), which enables the sharing of real-time maritime intelligence among partners.
He pointed to India’s ‘Sagar Mein Samman’ initiative under the Maritime India Vision 2030. He said it includes gender-sensitive safety measures and the deployment of an all-women ship crew as part of India’s push for progressive maritime reforms.
He said that India stood ready to work with the international community to strengthen seafarer protection, promote gender equality, and improve the lives of those serving aboard ships. He linked these commitments to India’s broader MAHASAGAR vision, which he described as the “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.”