MUMBAI: Even as India builds a powerful three-dimensional Navy to protect its huge geo-strategic interests in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond, as well as counter China's expanding arc of influence, it remains clear that it does not want "confrontations" on the high seas.
India remains concerned at the way China is increasingly flexing its muscles in the Asia-Pacific region but, at the same time, is not willing to be part of any US-led great game to "rebalance" forces in the region to contain China.
"We do not believe in confrontations...that is India's policy,'' said defence minister A K Antony, after commissioning the country's latest indigenous stealth frigate, the 6,100-tonne INS Sahyadri, into the Navy on Saturday.
Asked about the contentious South China Sea, where Beijing has even needled New Delhi apart from behaving aggressively in its territorial disputes with countries like Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines, Antony said India was a firm believer in "the unhindered freedom of navigation and freedom of passage for all" in international waters.
"Issues between countries should be sorted out by dialogue, discussion and persuasion without any confrontation,'' he added.
While it strikes a fine balance in the ongoing geo-political rivalry between the US and China, India is slowly but surely adding to its military muscle to take care of any contingencies in its primary area of strategic interest spreading from the Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait.
"Every year hereafter, Navy is going to get five warships...The need for a strong and vigilant Navy to defend our vast coastline and to maintain sea lanes of communication hardly needs any emphasis,'' said Antony.
Towards this end, Navy already has well-laid plans worth over Rs 3 lakh crore for the next 15 years, which includes 50 warships already ordered and another 45 in the planning process. Antony confirmed the over Rs 50,000 crore project to indigenously construct seven new advanced stealth frigates, as was reported by TOI earlier.
