Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba has said that India is moving in the right direction to regain the naval supremacy that it enjoyed in pre-Mughal era.
Admiral Lanba further said that India has a rich maritime heritage because it sits on the lap of Indian Ocean, and with seas on its three sides, maritime culture is intrinsic to the country.
He pointed out that there is irrefutable evidence of India’s economic fortune linked to the sea when it commanded 57 per cent of World’s GDP along with China in the first century AD.
"The story of India's economic rise in early period provides irrefutable evidence that the country's economic fortune was linked to the sea. India along with China commanded 57% of the world's GDP in the first century AD. This figure remained close to 50% for next 1,500 years due to flourishing maritime trade from our shores,” Admiral Lanba was quoted as saying by Times of India after inaugurating the two-day international symposium, 'The Sea & Knowledge', in Bharuch on Friday.
“Unfortunately, we lost focus and maritime glory from Mughal era onwards. We should examine where we stand today in comparison to the golden era of maritime India," Admiral Lanba added.
Admiral Lanba said that India now has a government which recognises that India's destiny is linked to the seas and added that India is on the right course to regain maritime supremacy.
"The Indian Navy for decades has been trying to redeem the country's glory as a maritime nation. However, now we have a government which recognizes that India's destiny is linked to the seas. This enhanced maritime consciousness and orientation are manifested at the highest level of national leadership,” he said.
"The proposed National Maritime Authority to ensure cohesive policy-making and effective coordination on coastal security among multiple authorities is a timely step and shows that India is on the right course to regain maritime supremacy," he added.
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