India Emerges As Security Provider In Indo-Pacific Region: Rajnath Singh

India has emerged as a regional power and net security provider in the Indo-Pacific as its capacity to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to its citizens and regional partners has grown in recent years, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday. 

Singh said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative, India is collaborating with multiple partners to ensure economic growth and security in the region while addressing threats such as natural disasters.

“Through participation in regional mechanisms, we have strengthened multilateral partnerships. This has improved interoperability, allowing for faster response in emergencies,” he spoke at the multi-agency Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise “Samanvay 2022.”

He emphasised that Asia, particularly the Indo-Pacific region, is vulnerable to the effects of climate change and he expressed confidence that the participation of national stakeholders with friendly nations in the “Samanvay 2022” will improve disaster management capabilities even further.

He also said that natural disaster prediction must be accompanied by the dissemination of information to a larger population and the relocation of people to safer locations, necessitating powerful machinery. Because nations' capacities differ, collaborative disaster preparation is required.

Singh urged nations to work together to respond to natural disasters by sharing resources, equipment, and training. He added that there is a need to share information in HADR for regional cooperation and best practices.

He emphasised that by combining diverse capabilities and utilising expertise and new technologies, we can reduce the impact of natural disasters. Given the increasing frequency of climate-related disasters, he believes it is critical for HADR teams from various countries to collaborate on a single platform.

Expounding on India's robust HADR mechanism, which has effectively provided relief both in India and in other countries, the Defence Minister said that the Government's “Make in India” initiative has strengthened this structure.

Following the formulation of the National Disaster Management Policy, he added that India's approach has shifted from a relief-centric approach to a multi-pronged approach that includes prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, relief and rehabilitation.

Singh praised the Indian Armed Forces' contribution to civil administration during HADR operations and their role in important HADR missions in the Indo-Pacific region, such as Operation Rahat in 2015 and relief operations in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Mozambique, Maldives and Madagascar.

The Indian Air Force is holding the exercise at Agra Air Force Station from 28 to 30 November.

The exercise is attended by representatives from ASEAN nations as well as various national and regional stakeholders involved in disaster management, including Civil Administration, Armed Forces, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), NDRF, DRDO, BRO, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services.

Earlier, the Defence Minister attended the exercise's capability demonstration events, which included an aerial display featuring SU-30 aircraft, transport planes and helicopters. 

He also saw a static display of HADR assets from various organisations, which demonstrated India's growing disaster management capabilities. The Akashganga team's demonstration captivated the audience.

General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari and other senior civil and military officials were in attendance.