New Delhi | Admiral Krishna Swaminathan on Sunday assumed charge as India's new chief of the Naval Staff amid a fast evolving regional maritime security scenario.

He succeeds Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who retired from service.

Admiral Swaminathan was serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.

"The Indian Navy stands vigilant to protect national interests wherever they are and is very actively deployed in a regional security environment that continues to remain challenging, complex, unpredictable, and uncertain," he told reporters.

"It shall be my highest priority to ensure that the Indian Navy maintains the highest level of operational readiness and combat effectiveness so that it can protect the nation's security and economic interests," he said.

Admiral Swaminathan said the Indian Navy is well set on a course of capability enhancement and modernisation.

"It shall be my endeavour to sustain the growth momentum of the Navy, consolidate all ongoing programs, scale up where required, and sharpen our operational capabilities through the induction of niche and emerging technologies," he said.