Gujarati Business Costs Surge: India Ensures Security Amid Drone-Pirate Threats On Red Sea Route

The conflict ongoing between Israel and Gaza has encircled Gujarati traders with crises, as cargo ships for export are being sent through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Gujarat is a major manufacturing hub, and a substantial amount of cargo is exported to Europe and the US through these routes. The output of textiles, chemicals, engineering, and pharmaceuticals takes place at Gujarat’s ports. In the current situation, shipment delivery has become a challenge for Gujarat traders. The ongoing drone attacks and missile strikes in the Middle East have caused significant damage. In response to questions posed by Divya Bhaskar, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India accepts responsibility for ensuring the safety of ships in this direction through a three-layered maritime operation involving its own and neighboring countries’ vessels.

India’s Responsibility in Regional Security

Jaishankar emphasized that a developed India means taking responsibility according to our capabilities. This involves collaborating with our neighboring countries to achieve mutual goals. Some adversaries are directly attacking in the seas. During his two-day visit to Gujarat, Jaishankar held discussions with local trader organizations in Surat, Rajkot, and Ahmedabad. In response to questions posed by Divya Bhaskar regarding the long-term plan of the Indian government to safeguard the interests of Gujarat traders, S. Jaishankar, the former Foreign Secretary, stated that this concern is not limited to Gujarat alone but extends globally. Some adversaries are directly attacking in the seas. The situation is also easing for Somali pirates. India is also concerned about its significant trade routes being towards the Red Sea. There’s an increasing concern about insurance issues related to attacks on ships. When attacks occur on ships, most crew members are Indians, which worries us. Sometimes, cargo ships have to take longer routes to Africa.

India’s Role in Ensuring Maritime Security

India is committed to fulfilling its responsibility and ensuring the complete security of ships belonging to our neighboring countries. Discussing this further, the Foreign Minister mentioned that initially, we had sent eight new ships, which were later increased to 12 and currently stands at 21. Our new ships are operating in three layers. Indian ships are conducting anti-piracy operations for the surprise of Somali pirates. Some ships attend to SOS calls, while others handle making formations against drone attacks.

Traffic Reduction on Suez Canal Route

In the past few months, global trade has been significantly affected. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), there has been a decrease in traffic on the Suez Canal route due to attacks on ships in the Red Sea region, causing about a 15% reduction in global maritime trade volumes. Goods with expiry dates, such as medicines and certain chemicals, are among those being transported by air cargo. The volume of air cargo from Ahmedabad to Europe and the US was 80 metric tons (MT) in October 2023, which has now increased to 200 MT. The war between Israel and Gaza started in October.

Responding with Clear and Firm Words

The Foreign Minister commented on the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by the ED, saying that other countries should refrain from commenting on the internal affairs of another country. If all countries start commenting on each other’s internal matters, where will this lead to? No country has the right to speak on the political issues of another country, and when people speak between countries, we respond with clear and firm words.

Urging State Government to Pursue Criminal Cases

Currently, there are several cases of youth being trapped in human trafficking in Gujarat, some of whom inadvertently ended up in the Russian army, where one youth even died in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. When people desire to go abroad, agents need to verify the cases of human trafficking. We provide advice, give warnings. When people are trapped and we come to know, we help them return home. Once we obtain information from agents, we immediately inform the state government, urging them to pursue criminal cases. This is a very serious issue, and we are working diligently on it.