With an objective to strengthen the country’s maritime security, the government announced the appointment of Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar (Retd), the former vice chief of the naval staff, as the first ever national maritime security coordinator (NMSC). He will function under the National Security Advisor (NSA).

“The recent appointment of the country’s first National Maritime Security Coordinator is a long overdue and a very positive development,” Commodore Anil Jai Singh, Vice President of the Indian Maritime Foundation, tells Financial Express Online.

What is the expected mandate?

The proposal for the creation of the NMSC post was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in 2021.

As the country’s first NMSC, the former vice chief of the India Navy is expected to ensure cohesion among various stakeholders. And his appointment is seen as part of India’s continued efforts to further strengthen its maritime security following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Though the mandate has not officially been announced, according to sources, the NMSC office, under National Security Council Secretariat headed by NSA Ajit Doval, Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar (Retd), is expected to coordinate among the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard, security agencies, the coastal states and the Union Territories.

In view of the emerging threats in the region, there have been efforts to ensure cooperation among all the stakeholders, to further strengthen maritime security and surveillance not only the region but along the vast coastline of India which is around 7,500-kilometres.

Post 26/11 the government has taken several steps to ensure there are no such attacks through the coastal route, there are several layers of maritime surveillance in place.

Expert View

A former submariner of the Indian Navy, Commodore Anil Jai Singh says, “The need for one was felt in the wake the terror attack on Mumbai on 26 November 2008 where the audacity and ease with which a motley bunch of men could enter country’s financial capital in a fishing boat and carry out a well-coordinated carnage orchestrated from across the border led to a complete restructuring of the country’s coastal security organisation. It clearly defined the roles and responsibilities of various agencies involved in regulating and governing the maritime domain and established a robust command and control structure.”

However, “its implementation also highlighted the differing priorities of the numerous organisations involved and their level of commitment in terms of allocation of resources, procurement of equipment, training of personnel etc., and the need for centralized coordination at the apex level in the government. It has taken 13 years from that tragic event to finally appoint the NMSC who will function under the NSA,” the former Indian Navy officer opines.

According to him, “India is essentially a maritime nation with its future security, economic well-being and sustainable development inextricably linked to the sea. As it grows as a nation, so will its dependence on the sea. The Prime Minister has repeatedly highlighted the centrality of the maritime economy for India likening it to the blue chakra in the centre of the national flag. In the evolving geopolitical dynamic in the region and the emerging great power rivalry in the Indo-Pacific, India, as the leading Indian Ocean power should focus its comprehensive national power on addressing the security and economic challenges and developing adequate capacity and capability in the maritime domain to ensure that it is able to shape the outcomes in the region and not get shaped by them.”

“While the need for a NMSC was highlighted when restructuring the coastal security architecture, it is hoped that his role and responsibilities will extend much beyond that and the country will be able to develop a comprehensive, cohesive and well-coordinated approach towards addressing its requirements in the maritime domain including its physical security, its economic security, its energy security and its development as a leading global maritime power,” Commodore Anil Jai Singh.