India needs a three-carrier navy to match 2047 goals, planners say

India will need a navy capable of sustained blue-water operations to match its ambition of becoming a developed power by 2047, defence planners and officials are increasingly arguing. The case centres on two linked requirements: protecting the Indian Ocean trade lanes on which India's economy depends, and building indigenous carrier capacity that creates an industrial base.

India currently operates two aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, but the Navy has argued for a minimum of three to maintain continuous presence on both the eastern and western seaboards. A second indigenous carrier, IAC-2, is awaiting Cabinet clearance. Cochin Shipyard estimates a sister ship to INS Vikrant could be built in seven to nine years on existing designs.

India's naval spending has risen from roughly 15 percent of the defence budget in 2018-19 to about 20 percent now, though the Army still receives half. Whether the allocation continues shifting to match India's maritime ambitions remains an open question within the defence establishment, with decisions in the next two to three years shaping the Navy's capability into the 2030s.