'Currently the Indian Navy has a fleet of 140 ships, both small and big. We have the capability to assert the control we want in our sphere of influence and face threats across the spectrum, from terror threats to nuclear warfare,' Mehta told reporters.

Terming the Indian Navy a 'builder's navy', Mehta said that currently 40 ships and submarines were in the process of being built at home and abroad. These included an indigenous aircraft carrier and an indigenous nuclear-powered submarine.

'We are a growing navy and we are technologically well advanced,' he noted, adding that henceforth a B.Tech degree would be a pre-requisite for all officers aspiring for the executive branch.

Mehta lamented that India, despite its 7,500-km coastline, was still considered a continental rather than a maritime power.

'In the 21st century, the destiny of the world will be decided in the Indian Ocean,' Mehta said, emphasizing on the strategic importance of the Indian Navy.