Admiral Krishna Swaminathan on Sunday assumed charge as the Chief of the Naval Staff at a time of evolving maritime security challenges in the region.
He succeeded Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who retired from service after completing his tenure as Navy chief.
Prior to taking over the top post, Admiral Swaminathan served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.
Addressing reporters after assuming office, Admiral Swaminathan underscored the Navy’s operational preparedness amid regional uncertainties.
“The Indian Navy stands vigilant to protect national interests wherever they are and is very actively deployed in a regional security environment that continues to remain challenging, complex, unpredictable, and uncertain,” he said.
He said maintaining operational readiness and combat effectiveness would remain a key priority.
“It shall be my highest priority to ensure that the Indian Navy maintains the highest level of operational readiness and combat effectiveness so that it can protect the nation's security and economic interests,” he said.
Highlighting the Navy’s modernisation efforts, Admiral Swaminathan said the force remained focused on capability enhancement.
“The Indian Navy is well set on a course of capability enhancement and modernisation,” he said.
“It shall be my endeavour to sustain the growth momentum of the Navy, consolidate all ongoing programs, scale up where required, and sharpen our operational capabilities through the induction of niche and emerging technologies,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)