Indian Defence Review

National Maritime Day

It was on 5th April 1919 that SS Loyalty belonging to the Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd an Indian owned company, set sail from Bombay to London while India was still under colonial rule. An Indian flag was unfurled in international waters for the first time in modern maritime history.

Every year since 1964, on 5th April, India observes National Marine Day to enhance public awareness of the importance of maritime domain and its crucial links to economy and growth of the nation. The 21st century is spoken of as the century of the seas due to globalization of trade and commerce, increasing interlinking of economies and the fact that bulk of trade takes place via maritime routes.

National Maritime Day is an apt occasion to reflect on the importance of maritime sector for India and way ahead.

India’s Maritime Legacy

Looking back at India’s maritime legacy, it is evident that her maritime links and legacy, are as old as Indian civilization itself. Archaeological evidence found in Mohenjo-Daro (3000-2500 BCE), indicates that even at the time of Indus Valley Civilisation, Indians had regular seafaring activities. The Rig Veda mentions sea voyages and has a prayer seeking blessings for safe passage across the seas, “Oh Lord, take us in a ship across the oceans for our well-being.” Incidentally motto of the modern Indian Navy ‘Sam No Varunah’ meaning ‘Oh Lord Varuna be tranquil’ is from Rig Veda.

Manu Smriti the ancient legal text has provided for maritime trade rules. Kautilya’s Arthashastra compiled over two millennia ago, indicates the post of a Chief Controller of Ports and aspects of port and customs duties. It also states that pirate ships and enemy boats violating territorial limits should be destroyed. Mauryan Empire had a Board of Shipping to look after shipping related activities. Thus, maritime issues were very much an integral part of thoughts in ancient India.

However, despite such a long maritime tradition, there was a clear decline in maritime thinking and related activities in India by the end of the 13th century.

The Mughals with their Central Asian tradition had no recognition of the importance of the sea and by early 16th century, command of the sea was lost by Indian rulers. This resulted in the European powers taking control of the oceanic waters around India and the eventual colonisation and loss of independence.

Historian Radhakumud Mookerji, in early 20th century, had analysed India’s maritime activities and linkages from historic times and had brought out that she had trade relations not only with the countries of Asia, but also with the whole of the then known world, including the countries under the dominion of the Roman Empire. Half a century later, Sardar KM Panikkar, a diplomat, historian and strategic thinker, who undoubtedly played a significant role in revival of maritime thinking in modern India had observed that as “A peninsula washed on its three sides by the Indian Ocean, she was from the earliest period of her history a country with dominant interest on the sea”.

It is pertinent to remember that dominance at sea, is not merely control by Naval forces but an entire shipping industry for trade and commerce. Mookerji in his analysis had brought out how Indian shipping and ship building was devastated under colonial rule. He urged that anyone interested in the progress of India should revive and restore on modern lines shipping industry as it is linked to India’s economic advancement.

K M Panikkar also expressed similar views and further analysed the need for all round development of India as a Naval power, to safeguard her commercial interests, industrial growth, expansion of trade and her very future. Panikkar had referred to the works of Admiral Mahan, on the conditions or elements needed for a nation to grow as a sea power in the modern era, viz geographical position, physical conformation, extent of territory, population, national character and governmental or national institutions.

While Panikkar had assessed it feasible for India to emerge as one, he was perceptive to observe the changes needed in Mahanian doctrines due to the emergence of Air Power and spoke of changes needed in maritime affairs and more importantly the need for a Naval Air Arm as against merely having an Air Force.

The significance of the maritime domain for India, was also well appreciated by Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In April 1955 at a Congress parliamentary party meeting, Nehru remarked as to “how people in this great bulk of the North of India are, what might be said, land minded. They are not so conscious of the sea; as the people on the sea coast and the South of India.”

On the aspect of security of India, Nehru expressed the opinion that colonisation of India came about because we lost at sea due to our lack of conception of sea power. He concluded that for a country like India, the sea is most important from the defence point of view and from the trade point of view.

Nehru had also opined on the types of ships for the Navy and the need for an aircraft carrier, as Naval operations during World War II in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and more specifically the entry of Japanese Navy into Indian waters, brought into focus importance of control of the seas for security of India.

Revival of Maritime Outlook in Modern India

The emergence of strategic thinkers like R K Mookerji and K M Panikkar, who highlighted the need for a maritime perspective to further India’s national interests and the appreciation of the importance of sea power for a nation like India by Prime Minister Nehru, resulted in the revival of maritime outlook in modern India. This vision led to the thrust for development of ports and associated infrastructure all along the coast, revival of mercantile marine and ship building.

The growth of Indian Navy from a virtually coastal force at the time of independence, into a major maritime force with an air arm and an aircraft carrier by 1961, is also reflective of the revival of a maritime outlook. Over the years, India was also able to develop a balanced Navy capable of operating well away from own waters and a Coast Guard to safeguard her Exclusive Economic Zone. Even as independent India was developing her economic, industrial and scientific capabilities, Indian Navy took necessary steps for indigenous construction of frigates in the 1960s.

Today India is into construction of major warships including aircraft carriers and submarines both conventional and nuclear and commercial ships and craft of various sizes.

Importance of Maritime Sector

Past few decades have seen liberalisation across the world, leading to closer cooperation between nations in manufacturing, trade and capital flows, resulting in enhanced economic interdependence. Development of newer technologies in communications and transportation has also enhanced trade, which would only increase further, as more developing nations try to leverage globalisation. Shipping today is one of the most important elements of the World Economy as it has a role in every cycle of the supply chain, from the supply of raw materials to the delivery of processed goods to the consumer. It is a very specific area of economic activity that presents the most international character in the world trade.

Global maritime trade accounts for 80% of the world trade by volume and 70% by value. Around 54,000 ships estimated at $450 billion ply the ocean routes. This increasing dependence also means a corresponding economic impact, when combined with linked activities of 6500 ports and terminals operating across the world generating nearly 14 million jobs. The total trade across the oceans considering imports and exports is estimated at $35,000 billion. Apart from transportation, the oceans are also a major source of food (fish), metals, minerals and energy resources.

As natural resources on land deplete and cheaper technologies emerge for extraction of resources from deep sea, importance of seas would grow further.

The economic impact of maritime sector or Blue Economy is equally significant. It has been defined by the World Bank as the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihood and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.”

While terms such as coastal economy and marine economy are used, in essence it is effective and optimal utilisation of natural marine resources. Coastal economy is more focused on activities on or around the coastal areas and is sum of all economic activities including employment and output in the region. Marine economy is a sub-set of the coastal economy and includes commercial seafood, marine transportation, coastal tourism and recreation, marine science and technology, marine-related construction and infrastructure.

While the importance of oceans is slowly emerging in the policies of the littoral countries, achieving the blue economy goals or sustainable management of marine resources, would require extensive cooperation between the littorals not only at governmental levels, but also among other stakeholders operating in the area including the local communities.

As in every activity in the modern world, maritime world is also impacted by advances in technology. Maritime world is not new to technological changes and appears set to absorb 4.0 technologies to bring greater innovation, automation, efficiency and transparency in the system. Technological innovations include advanced analytics, on-board sensors, communications technology, port-call optimization, blockchains, big data and autonomous ships and vehicles. They will redefine the ways in which ships, ports and their hinterland connections deliver cargo and services, thus saving time and cost for clearance and movement of cargo.

A key challenge will be to establish interoperability so that data can be exchanged seamlessly, while ensuring at the same time cybersecurity and the protection of sensitive data. Technological innovation is also raising the prospect of automated crewless vessels or “maritime autonomous surface ships” (MASS).