Indian Navy Confined Pakistani Fleet to Its Ports, Crippled Maritime Trade During Operation Sindoor

The Indian Navy forced the entire Pakistani fleet to remain confined to its ports during Operation Sindoor last year and dented Islamabad's maritime economy by driving up shipping risks and insurance premiums, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the 'Nausena Shaurya Vatika', an open-air naval museum in Lucknow, Rajnath Singh said, "The Navy played a significant role in maintaining pressure on Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.""Our Navy was deployed in the Arabian Sea with full preparedness and strength, maintaining constant pressure on the adversary. As a result, Pakistan's entire Navy remained confined to its ports."Meanwhile, in an interview with news

agency PTI, Admiral Tripathi said that Operation Sindoor demonstrated the Navy's absolute combat readiness, operational reach, and deterrence capabilities.He said the Navy's immediate deployment of a Carrier Battle Group and its forward operational posture in the Northern Arabian Sea forced the Pakistan Navy to remain confined to harbour or close to the Makran coast."This aggressive posturing reaffirmed our ability to rapidly position combat power and successfully shape the strategic environment, while simultaneously impacting their (Pakistan's) maritime economy due to increased shipping risks and elevated insurance premiums," he said.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, 2025, to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, with Indian forces conducting precision strikes on multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The military conflict was halted after both sides reached an understanding on the evening of May 10 at Islamabad's request. “The Indian Ocean is connected to our economy, trade and energy requirements. Those who safeguard it come from every village, town and city of India. The Navy is an asset of the entire nation, and its strength comes from the resolve and confidence of every citizen, whether they live by the sea or in a city like Lucknow,” Rajnath Singh said.(With PTI inputs)