This came at a time when its warships from its eastern fleet were off to participate in the International Fleet Review hosted by China and also for the first time to the Atlantic Ocean to participate in naval exercises with British and French navies.

The Indian Navy has also been working towards capacity building of nations in the IOR.

When the Indian Navy sent its ships to patrol the piracy-infested Gulf of Aden to check the increasing menace of the sea bandits, the Chinese navy followed suit by dispatching its destroyer Shenzen.

Even though the Chinese warship did not engage in direct confrontation with the pirates as done by the Indian Navy, it did impress the world by the endurance and reach of its vessel.

'The endurance of the Chinese warship in the Gulf of Aden has been amazing. It has been able to sustain itself for longer duration without making a port call to replenish its supplies,' said another Indian Navy official, wishing to remain anonymous.

While the Chinese navy has an edge over Indian Navy in terms of quantity, qualitative improvements are also perceptible. This was evident during the International Fleet Review it hosted earlier this year, he said.