Pune, Dec. 1 -- India's maritime strength will be central to achieving its economic and strategic ambitions in the coming decades, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said, stressing that the country's rise to a USD 5-trillion economy and its goal of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047 will be shaped "at, from, and by the sea."

Speaking at the Gen BC Joshi Memorial Lecture at Savitribai Phule Pune University on Monday, Admiral Tripathi underlined that India's geography, protected by mountains in the north and surrounded by oceans on three sides, has historically given it a natural maritime character.

"If you look at our geography, you'll realise that with high mountains to the north and oceans on three sides, India's connection ...