Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for proactive coordination among all agencies and stakeholders involved in coastal security.
He was addressing a gathering at the Commissioning Ceremony of Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) 'Varaha' here on Wednesday.
The minister exuded confidence that ICGS 'Varaha' will further strengthen the Coast Guard fleet in responding to the threats of maritime terrorism, smuggling and challenges of maritime law enforcement.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)', the minister said that as a responsible maritime power oceans have been the government's foremost policy priorities.
He described ICGS 'Varaha' as a fine example of collaboration with industry under the 'Make in India' initiative.
According to an official release, Singh stressed on the need to ensure availability of world-class assets, both commercial vessels and warships in adequate numbers to achieve maritime supremacy.
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He said there is no other way of providing the needed numbers than having a strong and vibrant shipbuilding industry.
"Great fleets cannot be just bought, they have to be built", he said.
Appreciating the important role played by private players in the indigenisation of shipbuilding technology, Rajnath Singh urged them to develop naval equipment of stringent standards.
He said the government has taken a conscious decision to encourage other shipyards, including private yards, to enter the specialised field of warship-construction. He termed the response as encouraging.
"There are not many countries in the world having capability to produce such a wide variety of warships ranging from fast attack craft to aircraft carrier", he added.
Singh said an Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan from 2015-2030, as a guideline document, has been formulated in pursuance to the Government's vision of 'Make in India'.
He said the document is aimed to enable indigenous development of equipment and systems over the next 15 years.
He said ICGS 'Varaha' was capable of carrying pollution response equipment.
ICGS 'Varaha', the state-of-the-art offshore patrol vessel, is the fourth among the series of seven ships to be delivered by Larsen & Toubro with features like ultra-advanced navigation, communication sensors and machinery.
It will operate from the port of New Mangalore on the West Coast covering Exclusive Economic Zone up to Kanyakumari.
ICGS 'Varaha' is capable of operating the indigenously-developed Advanced Light Helicopter by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The ship is well equipped with high-speed boats, medical facilities and modern surveillance systems.
Singh undertook a tour of ICGS 'Varaha' and was briefed about the functioning of the vessel by Director General India Coast Guard K. Natarajan.