No war, no peace: Navy’s new category in Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi Tuesday released the Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025 on Navy Day, with the Service formally recognising “no-war, no-peace” as a distinct category between peace and conflict for the first time.

Navy sources said the new doctrine treats the grey zone between war and peace as a critical operational space, reflecting the realities of contemporary maritime competition marked by coercion, hybrid operations and sub-threshold conflict. The Indian Maritime Doctrine is the Navy’s apex guidance document, laying down the principles that govern its strategy, roles and employment across the full spectrum of conflict. First released in 2004, revised in 2009 and amended in 2015, the 2025 edition reflects major shifts in India’s maritime environment and strategic outlook over the past decade, sources said.

The Navy said the new doctrine aligns closely with India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and integrates key national initiatives such as Sagarmala, PM Gati Shakti, Maritime India Vision 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 and MAHASAGAR.