Rajnath Singh on Monday called upon the Indian Armed Forces to develop a futuristic roadmap, focus on increasing technological vigilance through indigenously produced maritime surveillance tools.
"Traditional methods are no longer sufficient, we must be ahead of criminals and adversaries by integrating Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning-based surveillance, drones, cyber defence systems, and automated response mechanisms into our maritime security framework," he said during the inaugural session of the 42nd Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Commanders' Conference in New Delhi.
Singh warned that terrorist and radical outfits were employing technologies like digital mapping and real-time intelligence to carry out their nefarious plans.
"What were once predictable patterns of smuggling or piracy have now evolved into sophisticated operations using GPS spoofing, remote-controlled boats, encrypted communications, drones, satellite phones, and even networks operating on the dark web," he underscored.