Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated three state-of-the-art front line naval combat vessel - destroyer INS Surat, stealth frigate INS Nilgiri and submarine INS Vaghsheer - to the nation at an impressive commissioning ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai Wednesday morning.
The simultaneous commissioning of three naval vessels marked a new dawn of “Shaṁ No Varunaḥ” for the Indian Navy to have indigenous made-in-India warships and submarines in the sword arm of the naval fleet after 78 years of Independence.
'A Monumental Occasion For India's Maritime Heritage,' Says PM Modi
The PM described the occasion as monumental for India’s maritime heritage invoking Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and said “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had given new strength and a new vision to the Indian Navy and today for the first time when a destroyer, a frigate, and a submarine, all three, are being commissioned together on his holy land.”
Modi further added that the commissioning of the three frontline naval combatants will strengthen the country's efforts towards being a global leader in defence and augment its strength towards self-reliance.
"India has emerged as the first responder across the entire Indian Ocean Region and in recent months Indian Navy has saved hundreds of lives and safeguarded national and international cargo worth thousands of crores of rupees. Confidence in the Indian Navy and Coast Guard continues to grow steadily. India's economic cooperation is strengthening with ASEAN, Australia, Gulf nations, and African countries is evident” said PM Modi presiding the commissioning of the three naval assets.
The defence minister Rajnath Singh also joined the Prime Minister to laud the Indian Navy efforts to be combat ready for the changing geo political environment and hailed the commissioning as a historic achievement.
Statement Of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
“The commissioning of INS Surat, INS Nilgiri, and INS Vaghsheer is a testament not just to the Indian Navy but also to India’s growing strength in the Indian Ocean Region. The importance of this region, both strategically and economically, has become even more pronounced in today’s rapidly evolving global scenario,” asserted Rajnath Singh.
CNS Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi Underscores The Operational Significance Of Those Vessels
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi underscored the operational significance of these vessels and said “, “INS Surat continues the proud tradition of Projects 15A and 15B destroyers, Nilgiri is the first of the Project 17A frigates, and Vaghsheer is the final submarine under Project 75. All three will bolster the Navy's operational capabilities, ensuring the security of our maritime interests and advancing the Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR — Security and Growth for All in the Region.”
All the three naval vessels are designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) reflecting India’s growing expertise in defence production.
