Indian Envoy P Harish at UN: Indian Navy saved 520 lives, escorted 367 ships, secured $6.3 bn cargo

Putting the spotlight on India's naval power at the United Nations, India’s ambassador Parvathaneni Harish used an Arria-formula meeting on seafarer protection to showcase the Navy as one of the world’s most active guardians of the high seas.

“Over the last two years, in response to shipping attacks and rising incidents of piracy in the Western Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy has deployed over 35 ships in the region, carried out more than 1000 boarding operations and has responded to over 35 incidents,” Harish told the gathering co-organized by Greece, the Philippines, Denmark, Japan, Panama, and Romania.

The results have been striking. “The credible and swift actions of the Indian Navy have saved more than 520 lives, irrespective of nationality,” he declared. “Since November 2023, the Indian Navy has safely escorted over 367 Merchant Vessels, carrying over 14.7 million Metric Tons of Cargo, valued at over 6.3 billion dollars.”

Harish highlighted the Navy’s “decisive action” in the March 2024 liberation of the hijacked bulk carrier MV Ruen from Somali pirates, the first successful anti-piracy boarding operation in years, and its rapid response after the tanker Marlin Luanda, crewed partly by Indians, was struck by a Houthi missile in the Gulf of Aden. The Indian Navy’s role in that rescue earned an IMO Commendation, while the seafarers received the IMO Bravery Award.

Beyond kinetic operations, the ambassador pressed for global recognition of India’s maritime coordination hub. “The next logical step is to include the IFC-IOR as the IOR’s primary reporting centre in the IMO Maritime Safety Committee resolution,” he said, referring to the Gurgaon-based Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region, already listed in IMO best practices.

While noting India’s contributions as a leading seafaring nation, “India, being in the top three maritime communities, with 12% of the world’s seafarers”, Harish kept the focus also on labour protections. India has fully domesticated the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, introduced mandatory financial security so no seafarer is ever abandoned, cracked down on rogue recruitment agencies, and launched a 24-hour global helpline

The Indian envoy pointed to the “Sagar Mein Samman” (“respect at sea”) initiative under which New Delhi is mandating gender-sensitive safety standards, better onboard accommodation, and zero tolerance for harassment. The Shipping Corporation of India has already operated an all-women-crewed vessel, and a new national “Women in Maritime” policy is being shaped by a dedicated task force.

“India stands ready to work with the international community to strengthen seafarer protection, promote gender equality and improve the lives of those who serve aboard ships,” Harish said, tying the effort to India’s broader vision of MAHASAGAR, “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.”