English-language equipment and Royal Indian Navy recruiting

Were colonial naval contributions overlooked in the same way as African army service?

Sometimes, although technical-language training also limited recruitment, as the Royal Indian Navy example illustrates.

The Royal Indian Navy recruited capable sailors from the colonized population, but shipboard work imposed a particular language requirement. Recruits needed enough English to read warnings, gauges, and labels on British-designed equipment. Intelligence and aptitude did not remove the need for that instruction. Colonial language education is described as a method of control that was sometimes too limited to prepare people for naval technical work. The navy therefore had to supply further training, which selected recruits could learn quickly.