India, Jan. 4 -- The Indian Navy is on track to induct ships at the rate of one every one-and-a-half months in the coming year, fuelling the economy as its maritime muscle is strengthened. This pace-roughly one warship every six weeks-is expected to continue through 2026. That schedule says a great deal about India's maritime priorities. But before looking ahead, the past year deserves attention. It was a year of sustained operations, regular overseas deployments, humanitarian work, and steady progress in shipbuilding.

Operation Sindoor and the deployment of India's carrier group drew most of the public focus. That attention was warranted. Yet those events were only part of a wider pattern. Over the past 12 months, the Navy remained cont...