“Global maritime security environment strained by deliberate trade disruptions”: Rajnath Singh at Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue

Addressing the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, Singh said certain actors and nations were seeking to exploit the strategic importance of oceans for narrow unilateral gains and deny the shared benefits of the seas to humankind.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the global maritime security environment was under strain due to deliberate trade disruptions, challenges to freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of narrow maritime passages, warning that growing instability in the maritime domain was casting a long shadow over the broader international order. Addressing the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, Singh said certain actors and nations were seeking to exploit the strategic importance of oceans for narrow unilateral gains and deny the shared benefits of the seas to humankind.

“Certain actors and nations seek to exploit the criticality of the oceans for narrow unilateral gain; by pursuing selfish leverage, they seek to deny the shared benefits of the sea to humankind. Today, the global maritime security environment is strained by deliberate trade disruptions. We see blatant challenges for the freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of the narrow maritime passages. This growing instability in the maritime domain casts a long shadow over the broader international order,” he said. Highlighting the importance of oceans for global connectivity and economic activities, the Defence Minister said that although data could travel across the world in milliseconds, more than 95 per cent of digital traffic was carried through fibre-optic cables laid across ocean floors.

He further emphasised that factories, farms and cities continued to depend on the physical movement of goods and commodities through maritime routes. Singh also highlighted the role of seas in supporting coastal fisheries, regulating planetary climates and holding vital resources for future industries.

"Data may travel across the world in milliseconds. Yet over 95 per cent of the digital traffic travels through fibre optic cables laid across the ocean floors. Our factories, farms, and the cities continue to depend upon physical flows of the community across the water,” he said. Singh further noted that seas support coastal fisheries, regulate planetary climates and hold vital resources for future industries.

“Our Seas also support coastal fisheries, regulated over the planetary climates, and hold vital resources for future industries,” he said. Emphasising the interconnected nature of global maritime interests, the Defence Minister said the international community was aware of its dependence on oceans for trade, communication, economic activity and environmental sustainability.

However, he cautioned that despite this shared understanding, certain actors continued to exploit the strategic importance of maritime routes for unilateral advantages. “Everyone in the international community understands these universal dependencies. Despite this knowledge, certain actors and nations seek to exploit the criticality of the oceans for narrow unilateral gain; by pursuing selfish leverage, they seek to deny the shared benefits of the sea to humankind,” he said.

Singh reiterated that deliberate disruptions to international trade, restrictions on freedom of navigation and attempts to weaponise narrow maritime passages were creating challenges for global maritime security. “Today, the global maritime security environment is strained by deliberate trade disruptions. We see blatant challenges to the freedom of navigation and the weaponisation of narrow maritime passages. This growing instability in the maritime domain casts a long shadow over the broader international order,” Singh added.

The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue serves as a platform for discussions on maritime security, regional cooperation and emerging challenges affecting the Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)