Operation Sankalp is the Indian Navy's initiative aimed at ensuring the security of the regional maritime domain. The term Sankalp originates from Sanskrit and signifies the concept of "Commitment". It aligns with the Indian Navy's objective of safeguarding India's shipping interests and trade routes.
Launched on 19 June 2019, Operation Sankalp primarily focused on guaranteeing the safe transit of Indian-flagged vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz amidst escalating security concerns in the area. The protection of India's commercial fleet and maritime commerce is emphasised as a significant goal within the Indian Navy's responsibilities. Due to the intricate nature of the mission and the global context in which Indian Naval vessels operate, Op Sankalp is being executed in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through active engagement and meticulous coordination with the Indian Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Shipping, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and the Directorate General of Shipping.
The utilisation of a blue-water navy relies on its intrinsic characteristics such as reach, flexibility, and visibility. The actions carried out by a country's naval forces to advance its national interest reflect both the nation's interests and political objectives. Since 2008, piracy has become a growing concern in the Indian Ocean Region, prompting the deployment of warships from various navies - both regional as well as non-regional naval forces. The Indian Navy has stepped up as the leading force in tackling security issues, positioning itself as the âÂÂFirst Responderâ and âÂÂPreferred Security Partnerâ in the IOR. Through impressive displays of naval strength, aircraft, and Special Forces, the Indian Navy remains steadfast in its mission to protect the seas and ensure the safety of the maritime community in the face of unconventional threats.
The Persian Gulf plays a significant role in India's maritime trade with West Asia. In the fiscal year 2019âÂÂ2020, India imported about US$66 billion worth of oil from this region, making up 62 per cent of its total oil imports. The trade between India and West Asia during that time stood at US$108.2 billion in imports and roughly US$51 billion in exports. These numbers constitute 8.1% and 11.4% of India's total exports and imports, underscoring the importance of Operation Sankalp led by the Indian Navy.
From June 2019 to May 2021, fleet of 20 Indian warships were deployed under Operation Sankalp to safeguard the journey of over 200 Indian Flag Vessels transporting more than 21 million tonnes of cargo in the IOR.
India enacted its anti-piracy legislation as the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022, on 20 December 2022 criminalising maritime piracy and empowering the Indian Navy and other government agencies with the authority to respond to threats at sea. In 2024, the then Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar referred to the new law as a "great enabler" in the navy's anti-piracy success.
From December 2023 to March 2024, around 5000 troops have been deployed at sea with over 450 ship days have been completed (using over 21 ships), and maritime surveillance aircraft have flown 900 hours under Operation Sankalp.
In 2024, as per a report, the Indian Navy deployed over 30 ships as Houthi militants targeted multiple cargo vessels in and around the Red Sea with drone and missile attacks. "The Navy responded to over 25 such incidents and safely escorted over 230 merchant vessels carrying around 90 lakh metric tonnes of cargo valued at over USD 4 billion", according to official data.
In November 2021, was dispatched to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman under Operation Sankalp, an initiative by the Indian Navy to uphold a prominent vessel in the area, guaranteeing the unhindered and protected transportation of goods, fostering trust within the maritime community, and actively contributing to the overall security of the regional waters. The ship stopped at Manama and during its stay at the port, the personnel engaged with Bahrain's counterparts to enhance maritime security. Trikand, a cutting-edge frigate equipped with guided missiles and stealth technology, serves as a vital component of the Western Fleet. It operates under the command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, which is headquartered in Mumbai.
In regular circumstances, this deployment would have been considered as a standard procedure. Nevertheless, during the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Indian Navy's capability to deploy its warships demonstrated their exceptional operational readiness and availability. This also highlighted the stringent protocols and mechanisms implemented by the Indian Navy to minimise the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on their personnel, thereby ensuring uninterrupted deployments and operations. Consequently, in addition to their continuous anti-piracy patrols and Op-Sankalp, the Indian Navy effectively executed numerous deployments and operations.
On 14 December 2023, Operation Sankalp was re-initiated to ensure the security of the regional maritime domain due to the Red Sea crisis and sudden increase in marine pirate activities. The Indian Navy on 31 December 2023 said it had deployed P-8I Neptune and the SeaGuardian drones, following the distressed faced by two merchant vessels, MV Ruen and MV Chem Pluto which were targeted in the sea. MV Ruen was hijacked (later rescued by INS Kolkata) while MV Chem Pluto sustained drone hits eventually and making way to port. The Indian Navy deployed a large flotilla of destroyers to safeguard international security. The deployment into the Arabian Sea included missile destroyers, including INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, INS Mormugao, INS Chennai and INS Visakhapatnam, almost its entire modern destroyer fleet of its Western Fleet. INS Kolkata was deployed at the mouth of the Red Sea, INS Kochi on the south of Yemen's Socotra Island, INS Mormugao in the west Arabian Sea with INS Chennai in the central Arabian Sea. INS Visakhapatnam was also moved in a week later and was tasked to patrol the north Arabian Sea.
While the Iran conflict begun, an Indian Navy destroyer and a frigate was kept deployed in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden under Operation Sankalp. The destroyer, , had visited Bahrain. On 1 March, the Prime Minister-chaired Cabinet Committee on Security, the countryâÂÂs highest decision-making body on security and strategic affairs, had convened a meeting to review the West Asia conflict and its implications for India. As on 2 March, India was "closely monitoring" the situation while the warships could be immediately diverted for HADR operations, as per a senior defence official.
On 10 March, The New York Times reported that the Indian government was evaluating options to escort the Indian-flagged vessels that were stuck near the crisis-hit Strait of Hormuz. As of then, there were 36âÂÂ38 such vessels with 1,100 sailors, all of which were safe with the crew members having sufficient provisions. The ships are complying to "enhanced safety protocols" including reporting to authorities at a higher frequency. Indian ship owners had requested to government for naval escorts. The NYT quoted Captain P.C. Meena, a senior member of India's apex maritime authority.
Unlike the passive monitoring protocols seen in previous years, the Navy implemented close-protection escorts for India-flagged Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and crude oil tankers. Through back-channel negotiations led by the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, India may have secured an informal guarantee from Tehran for the safe passage of Indian vessels, provided they are escorted by Indian naval assets and do not carry coalition materiel. On 25 March, Operation Urja Suraksha was reported to have been initiated to secure oil supplies from the Middle East to India. The Navy provides critical precise instructions to each ship through the Iran-controlled route, closer to the Iran coast than the official shipping lanes.
India was also among the five nations, including China, Russia, Iraq and Pakistan whose ships were allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz. This was announced by the Foreign Minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi on 26 March.
28 Indian vessels were struck near the Strait of Hormuz including 24 on the west of the choke point.
One of the vessel, Jag Prakash, on the east of the strait sailed away safely, carrying oil from Sohar Port, Oman to Port of Tanga, Tanzania. There are three more vessels to the east of the strait with 76 sailors on board while the 24 on the west carried 668 sailors.
In the early morning, two Indian LPG carrier<nowiki/>s, SCI Shivalik and SCI Nanda Devi, owned by the Shipping Corporation of India and chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation safely crossed the Strait under the escort of Indian Navy warships. They are carrying 92,700 metric tons of LPG from Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar and will reach their destinations, Mundra Port and Kandla Port, on 16 and 17 March, respectively.MT Shivalik had loaded LPG from Qatar on 26 February and was scheduled to depart on 28 February, when the war begun. The ship was asked to move to Ras Laffan port and then to Mina Saqr, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. Yet, safety was uncertain as Dubai was one of the targets from Iranian drones and missiles. The orders to exit the Strait, a 10 hour passage, was received on 13 March.
There were 22 additional Indian ships with 611 seafarers in the west of Hormuz. All Indian seafarers are safe without any "untoward incident" in the last 24 hours, according to the Special Secretary at the Indian Shipping Ministry, Rajesh Kumar Sinha. A warship was still escorting Shivalik. Three Indian Navy warships were then deployed in the Gulf of Oman. Indian Navy MH-60R helicopters where also seen engaged for maritime patrol.
Further, an Indian crude tanker, Jag Laadki, owned by the Great Eastern Shipping, experienced a "close call" while loading itself with Murban crude oil at Fujairah Single Point Mooring while the Fujairah oil terminal was attacked. The ship later departed the port at 10:30 am IST on 15 March while carrying 80,800 tonnes of crude oil. This was reported by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
On 16 March, an Indian warship escorted Jag Laadki out of Hormuz. Two more warships were also on standby on the region of crisis. However, two task forces are reportedly deployed under Operation Sankalp.
The ships, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, reached India on the anticipated dates with 46,200 metric tonnes and 46,500 metric tonnes of LPG, respectively. Each of the vessel carried approximately 32.4 lakh standard 14.2 kg domestic cylinders, meeting one day of India's LPG net import needs. Around 24,000 tonnes of LPG is expected to be dispatched to Tamil Nadu. There are six more LPG tankers with a combined 3 lakh tonnes of LPG in the region. Unloading from Shivalik and Nanda Devi are underway as of 18 March. As of 19 March, the presence of Indian Navy in the region is expected to be expanded from the current three warships to six or seven, including logistics ships. Under warship escort, another oil tanker outside the strait departed the Port of Fujairah, UAE and is bound for the western coast of India.
Jag Laadki reached Kandla Port on 18 March.
India is drawing up a plan to evacuate the Indian-flagged vessel from the region. If the plan is executed successfully, the operation will salvage 3 days of India's requirement of crude oil, natural gas and cooking gas. Two of the 22 ships are container ships. The remainder are energy carriers, including three LNG carriers, 10 LPG carriers and seven crude tankers. This assessment was compiled by the Directorate General of Shipping.
LPG carriers Jag Vasant and Pine Gas started sailing northwards from the UAE coast towards Iran's Qeshm and Larak Island<nowiki/>s according to LSEG ship-tracking data. They are travelling through the coastal waters of Iran, a route followed by other ships which were allowed to sail through the Strait. Their Indian ownership was conveyed by their transponders which, however, did not transmit their destination. While the transit takes around 14 hours without hindrance, the ships were expected to cross the strait by evening. The Iranian Navy had guided the earlier Indian vessels that were allowed to cross the region. Both the vessels entered the Persian Gulf on 26 February and filled LPG from Kuwait and Ruwais, UAE, respectively.
Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, with a crew of 33 and 27 sailors respectively, had crossed the Strait and is carrying 92,612.59 tonnes of LPG combined and will reach the Indian ports between 26 and 28 March, respectively. The update was confirmed by the Special Secretary at the Indian Shipping Ministry, Rajesh Kumar Sinha. There are five more LPG carriers to the west of Hormuz according to Reuters. While Jag Vasant carrying 47,600 tonnes of LPG will reach the Kandla Port on 26 March, Pine Gas is carrying 45,000 tonnes of LPG to the New Mangalore Port and is scheduled to reach the port on 257 March. Further 11 sailors onboard Indian vessels to the west of Hormuz have returned home which further brings down the number of Indian sailors to 540.
A report indicated that three crude tankers owned by the Shipping Corporation of India, including a VLCC and a Aframax, are heading towards India from the west of Hormuz. One of the vessels include Desh Vaibhav with a deadweight tonnage of 316,200 tonnes. Transponder signals identify the ships as "GOVT. OF INDIA SHIP".
The Times of India cited "sources in the defence establishments" that the Indian Navy deployed over five frontline warships in the region under Operation Urja Suraksha. There were 20 more Indian ships to the west of the Strait of Hormuz. The Indian Navy keeps in contact with the India-bound vessels that are preparing to leave the Persian Gulf. Officials in DG Shipping also told that the Indian destroyers and frigates would escort and guide an India-bound vessel out of the troubled waters from the Gulf of Oman with a layered security arrangement, after it clears the Strait with Iranian consent. An independent analyst assessed that Iran allows a vessel to leave the region following a "verification" which is conducted during "the shipsâ transit inside Iranian waters".
LPG carriers Jag Vasant and Pine Gas were the first to escaped the conflict zone with escorts under the operation. Reports also indicate the deployment of large numbers of sea mines in the region and that the warships are also guiding the cargo vessels to navigate through the designated safe routes.
Another two LPG carriers, BW Elm and BW Tyr, reached the eastern part of the Strait according to shipping data from LSEG and Kpler. This keeps three more LPG tankers â Jag Vikram, Green Asha and Green Sanvi â among the 18 Indian ships in the western part of the Strait.
Pine Gas with 47,000 tonnes of LPG has been rerouted to Visakhapatnam and is expected to dock in port by early morning of 2 April. The original destination of the ship was New Mangalore Port but was re-scheduled to reach Dhamra Port, Odisha on 1 April.
Due to the impact made in addressing maritime challenges, preventing the resurgence of piracy, and significantly decreasing drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean Region, as well as in protecting India's maritime concerns, the Indian Navy's strategic response, creativity, and unwavering determination during the continuous maritime security operations under 'Op Sankalp' have garnered international recognition.
By the end of 2023, a total of 41 warships have been deployed by the Indian Navy to provide escort services for around 624 Lakh Tons of cargo carried by 503 Indian Flagged Merchant Vessels.
As of March 2024, the Indian Navy has demonstrated its dedication to guaranteeing the maritime safety and security by escorting about of vital commodities under transit in the region and has given over 450 merchant vessels confidence from being present in the IOR. It has a remarkable record of saving over 110 lives which includes 45 Indian seafarers. The Indian Navy has apprehended contraband and approximately of narcotic drugs.
Around 23 warships has been deployed in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf region until March 2026.