India's defence minister cites power rivalry in Indian Ocean region

International power rivalry is playing out in the Indian Ocean region, India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday, adding that a strong naval presence in the key trade route was his country's biggest priority.

While Singh did not name any country, analysts say that China, which commands the world's largest naval force with more than 370 ships, has been a security concern for India since ties nosedived in 2020 after 24 troops died in clashes along their Himalayan frontier.

The UK and the US also have a joint military base in the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.

Chinese and Indian troops have pulled back from two face-off points after a deal was struck in October following a series of talks, but India's army chief told reporters this week that "a degree of standoff" still persists.

"A large part of the world's trade and commerce passes through the Indian Ocean region. Due to geo-strategic reasons, the region is also becoming a part of international power rivalry," Defence Minister Singh said during the induction of one submarine and two navy ships in the city of Mumbai.

He said 95% of India's trade, in terms of volume, is linked to the Indian Ocean region. "In such a situation, the presence of a strong Indian Navy becomes our biggest priority," he said.

India has sought to counter China as Beijing grows its influence in India's neighbourhood through investments and development projects in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

New Delhi plans to build a 175-ship strong naval force by 2035 with an increasing emphasis on using domestically made components, but analysts say the pace of construction is slow as compared to China, which builds almost 14 warships a year, while India constructs just four.