The Indian Navy is India's maritime warfare service, founded in its modern form in 1950. With approximately 67,000 personnel, two aircraft carriers, and around 150 vessels, it is the world's seventh-largest navy. It operates from three commands covering the Eastern, Western, and Southern Indian Ocean.Source: Indian Navy

What happened to Iranian warships in Indian Ocean waters in 2026?

IRIS Dena was sunk in waters India regards as strategically sovereign during the 2026 Iran-Israel-US conflict. A second Iranian warship, IRIS Bushehr, was interned by Sri Lanka at Trincomalee under The Hague Convention with 208 crew taken ashore.Source: Lowdown

Why did India not protest the sinking of IRIS Dena?

India maintained four days of diplomatic silence after IRIS Dena was sunk in seas it considers strategically sovereign. PM Modi's only public gesture was a Foreign Secretary condolence visit to the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, drawing criticism from opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. India issued no formal protest.Source: Lowdown

Background

India's naval warfare service, founded in 1612 as the East India Company's Marine and re-established as the modern Indian Navy in 1950, is the world's seventh-largest navy. With around 67,000 personnel, two aircraft carriers (INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant), and approximately 150 vessels, it commands the Indian Ocean from three theatre commands: Eastern at Visakhapatnam, Western at Mumbai, and Southern at Kochi. Headquarters are in New Delhi.

The navy's strategic significance sharpened dramatically in 2026 when the Iran-Israel-US conflict extended into Indian Ocean waters. IRIS Dena was sunk in sea lanes India regards as strategically sovereign, yet Narendra Modi held a four-day diplomatic silence before a minimal consulate gesture, drawing domestic criticism . Separately, Sri Lanka invoked The Hague Convention to intern the Iranian Navy warship IRIS Bushehr with 208 crew at Trincomalee .

India's posture exposes a core tension: as host of the International Fleet Review 2026 and Exercise MILAN, it projects itself as the Indian Ocean's indispensable partner, yet its silence over IRIS Dena's sinking in "strategically sovereign" waters suggests it is prioritising Non-alignment over maritime rule enforcement. How India navigates that contradiction will define its credibility as a regional maritime power.

More questions

How does the Indian Navy compare to the Iranian Navy in the Indian Ocean?

The Indian Navy is significantly larger: approximately 150 vessels and two aircraft carriers versus Iran's smaller, predominantly coastal force. However, the 2026 conflict showed Iranian naval vessels operating deep into the Indian Ocean, challenging India's claimed strategic sovereignty over those waters.Source: Lowdown

What is Exercise MILAN?

Exercise MILAN is a multilateral naval exercise hosted by India, bringing together navies from across the Indo-Pacific region. India used the exercise and the International Fleet Review 2026 to project itself as the Indian Ocean's leading maritime power.Source: Indian Navy