India has been known to have overseas trading relations with distant lands as far as Rome and with ports in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the East African coast. Indian ships were bigger, reaching 1500-ton brethren. Indian seamen were skilled sailors and had great knowledge in winds, tides, stellar navigation, etc. India had a rich maritime tradition but nowhere in Indian history was there a mention of developing a navy for defensive purpose. Though there are incidents of Indian rulers having overseas naval expedition and establishing their kingdom. By the Middle Ages the Indian trade was dominated by the Gujarati and Arabs traders. The Portuguese entered Indian water with Vasco da Gama reaching Calicut in 1498. The route to India also resulted in frenzy of activities from England, the United Provinces and France to reach India to be a part of a lucrative trade. They sought permissions from local rulers and began to dominate the Indian trade with force whenever necessary or not. The Portuguese in particular dominated the sea trade by sheer use of superior naval force and naval artillery.

The 15th century was also the time when northern India was under control of the Mughals, and southern India was divided into smaller Muslim kingdoms such as Bijapur, Hyderabad and Golconda. The general orientation of Indian rulers was towards land and hence never had envisaged the need for protecting their sea frontier. This was due to the fact that such need never arose and hence they never paid any attention to establish a naval organization.