Overview
- Senior defence officials opened the Indian Navy’s biannual Commanders’ Conference at Nausena Bhawan to review operational preparedness and energy‑security tasks for sea routes to India.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 29 called for a major upgrade of maritime surveillance and response to counter growing congestion, deception and grey‑zone activity at sea.
- The conference formally highlighted Operation Urja Suraksha, the Navy’s escort deployments that protect India‑bound oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and nearby routes.
- Speakers from the Navy and the Chief of Defence Staff stressed faster induction of AI, big‑data analytics, autonomous and cyber systems while reaffirming plans to induct or commission 18 warships in 2026.
- Sessions with the CDS and the Army Chief emphasized tri‑service integration and data sharing to improve joint response, a move that could reshape routine planning toward crisis‑level energy security and regional deployments.