Why is maritime security vital to protect India’s sea trade? Discuss maritime and coastal security challenges and the way forward.
Approach · directive: “why / discuss”
What it asks · Explain why secure seas matter for India’s trade and energy, set out the maritime and coastal threats, and propose a way forward.
It asks 3 things — answer each
- Explain why maritime security is vital to protect India's sea trade
- Discuss the maritime and coastal security challenges
- Discuss the way forward — institutions, capacity, partnerships and resilience
Open with · Nearly 95% of India's trade by volume and about 70% by value moves by sea (PIB, 2025); the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean are the arteries of the economy, so their security is a national interest, not only a naval task.
Cover
- Why vital: oil, LNG and container trade pass chokepoints (Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Malacca); disruption raises freight and insurance costs, as in the Red Sea crisis.
- Non-traditional threats: piracy off Somalia, attacks on merchant ships, illegal fishing, drug and arms smuggling by sea.
- Strategic threats: growing extra-regional naval presence, dual-use ports and research vessels in the Indian Ocean, grey-zone tactics.
- Coastal gaps: long coastline and islands; seaborne infiltration as in 26/11; tracking lakhs of small boats; coordination among Navy, Coast Guard, marine police.
- Climate and disaster: cyclones, sea-level rise and oil spills threaten ports and coastal communities.
- Way forward — institutions: coastal radar chain, IFC-IOR at Gurugram, transponders on fishing boats, National Maritime Security Coordinator, stronger marine police.
- Way forward — capacity and partners: blue-water navy and shipbuilding, deep-water ports, Andaman and Nicobar Command; SAGAR/MAHASAGAR, IORA, Quad, Colombo Security Conclave.
Close with · A secure Indian Ocean is the precondition for the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047; integrated maritime governance and partnerships can make India the region's preferred security partner.
Add value (verified)
- Nearly 95% of India’s trade by volume and about 70% by value moves through maritime routes.PIB Backgrounder — Maritime India: From Vision 2030 to Amrit Kaal 2047 (26 October 2025) ↗“Nearly 95% of India’s trade by volume and about 70% by value moves through maritime routes, underlining the sector’s centrality to India’s economy and competitiveness.”
- Coastal Security Scheme Phase I (2005–11, ₹646 crore): 73 coastal police stations, 204 interceptor boats; Phase II (2011–20, ₹1,579.91 crore).MHA Annual Report 2025-26, Chapter 3 (Coastal Security) ↗“The CSS (Phase-I) was implemented from 01.04.2005 to 31.03.2011 with an outlay of Rs.646 Cr. Under the Scheme, Coastal States/UTs were provided with 73 Coastal Police Stations (CPS), 97 check posts, 58 outposts, 30 barracks, 204 interceptor boats, 153 jeeps, 312 motor cycles and 10 Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs). The CSS (Phase-II) was implemented w.e.f. 01.04.2011 to 31.03.2020 with an approved outlay of Rs. 1579.91 Cr.”
- Coastal Security Scheme Phase II provided 131 coastal police stations, 37 jetties and 6 marine operational centres.MHA Annual Report 2025-26, Chapter 3 (Coastal Security) ↗“Under the Phase-II, the coastal States/UTs were provided with 131 CPS, 37 jetties, 06 Marine Operational Centres, 131 four wheelers and 242 motorcycles”
- National Academy of Coastal Policing, Devbhoomi Dwarka (outlay ₹441 crore): 18 batches of the Marine Police Foundation Course and 1,914 coastal police personnel trained.MHA Annual Report 2025-26, Chapter 3 (para 3.41) ↗“National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP) at Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gujarat with an outlay of Rs. 441 Cr. To date, the project is 53% completed and is likely to be fully functional by early 2027. A temporary campus of the Academy started functioning in October 2018. So far, 18 batches have completed the Marine Police 44 Foundation Course (MPFC) and 1914 coastal police personnel have completed their training.”
- Sagarmala, a core pillar of Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047: 840 projects worth ₹5.8 lakh crore being implemented by 2035.PIB backgrounder, Maritime India: From Vision 2030 to Amrit Kaal 2047 (26 October 2025) ↗“Sagarmala Programme, a flagship initiative to transform India into a global maritime hub is a core pillar of the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. The programme focuses on cutting logistics costs, enhancing trade efficiency, and creating employment through smarter, greener transport networks. Under its sphere, 840 projects worth ₹ 5.8 lakh crore are being implemented by 2035”
- PIB (2025): a ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund to expand shipping tonnage and shipbuilding capacity.PIB backgrounder, Maritime India: From Vision 2030 to Amrit Kaal 2047 (26 October 2025) ↗“With a ₹ 25,000 crore corpus, the Maritime Development Fund (MDF) is set to provide long-term financing to expand India’s shipping tonnage and shipbuilding capacity.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2025, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 363words · Minimalist IAS
Nearly 95% of India's trade by volume and about 70% by value moves by sea (PIB, 2025). The sea lanes of the Indian Ocean are the arteries of the economy, so their security is a national interest, not only a naval task.
Why maritime security is vital to protect India's sea trade
- Energy and trade lifelines: crude, LNG and container traffic pass the chokepoints of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb and Malacca; disruption raises freight and insurance costs, as the Red Sea crisis showed.
- Ports and the blue economy: Sagarmala's 840 projects worth ₹5.8 lakh crore to 2035 and the ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund all presume secure waters.
- Strategic weight: a secure Indian Ocean underpins India's role as a net security provider and its Indo-Pacific partnerships.
Maritime and coastal security challenges
- Non-traditional: piracy off Somalia, attacks on merchant shipping, illegal and unreported fishing, drug and arms smuggling by sea.
- Strategic: extra-regional naval presence, dual-use ports and research vessels, grey-zone tactics.
- Coastal: seaborne infiltration as in 26/11, lakhs of small fishing boats to track, and coordination among the Navy, Coast Guard, marine police and customs.
- Climate and cyber: cyclones, sea-level rise and oil spills; port systems and undersea cables as new targets.
| Layer | Lead agency | Instruments |
|---|---|---|
| High seas | Navy | IFC-IOR, patrols, partnerships |
| Territorial waters | Coast Guard | Radar chain, interceptor boats |
| Shallow coast | Marine police | Coastal Security Scheme, NACP |
The way forward
- Institutions: the Coastal Security Scheme built 73 coastal police stations in Phase I (2005–11) and 131 in Phase II (2011–20); the National Academy of Coastal Policing, Dwarka, has trained 1,914 personnel. The radar chain, fishing-boat transponders, the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region at Gurugram and the National Maritime Security Coordinator must feed one shared picture.
- Capacity: a blue-water navy with indigenous shipbuilding, deep-water ports, the Andaman and Nicobar Command as forward post, satellites and drones for domain awareness.
- Partnerships: SAGAR and MAHASAGAR, IORA, the Quad's maritime initiatives, the Colombo Security Conclave and coordinated patrols with neighbours.
- Resilience: climate-proof ports, oil-spill response and community coastal watch through fishing villages.
A secure Indian Ocean is the precondition for the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047; integrated maritime governance and partnerships can make India the region's preferred security partner.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
