Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated Indian Navy’s warships to the nation and inaugurated the second largest International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Asia on Wednesday, in Mumbai.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Modi said, “India is emerging as a major maritime power in the world and the expanding ship-building industry will help the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had given new strength and a new vision to the Indian Navy. Today, on his holy land, we are taking a very big step towards strengthening the Navy of the 21st century. This is the first time that a destroyer, a frigate and a submarine, all three are being commissioned together.”
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He stressed the importance of moving forward with confidence in the 21st century by freeing India from symbols of colonialism, noting that the Indian Navy has linked its flag to the glorious tradition of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and redesigned the Admiral rank epaulettes accordingly.
PM Modi dedicated three frontline naval vessels, namely INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer, to the nation. INS Vaghsheer is a ‘hunter-killer’ submarine, while INS Surat is a guided missile destroyer and INS Nilgiri is a stealth frigate.
“Today, India is recognised as a reliable and responsible partner globally, especially in the Global South. India works in the spirit of development, not expansionism. India has always supported an open, secure, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
INS Vaghsheer, the ‘hunter-killer’ submarine, is equipped with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles and is capable of both anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare apart from intelligence gathering and mine-laying capabilities. It is poised to strengthen India’s maritime dominance and deter adversaries like China and Pakistan.
INS Surat, a guided missile destroyer, has an indigenous content of 75 per cent and is equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilities.
INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project, has been designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and incorporates advanced features for enhanced survivability, seakeeping, and stealth, reflecting the next generation of indigenous frigates.
Addressing the gathering at the event, Modi said January 15 is commemorated as Army Day and he saluted all brave warriors. “Today’s event links our glorious heritage with our future aspirations”, he said, adding that India has a rich history related to long sea voyages, commerce, naval defence and ship industry.
He said the country has always supported an open, secure, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific Region, noting that when it came to the development of coastal nations, India introduced the mantra of Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) and advanced with this vision.
He stated that India considers the defence and security of the entire region as its responsibility, emphasising the significant role of maritime nations like India in shaping global security, economics, and geopolitical dynamics.
He highlighted the importance of protecting territorial waters, ensuring freedom of navigation, and securing trade supply lines and sea routes for economic progress and energy security. He stressed on the need to safeguard the region from terrorism, arms, and drug trafficking. He spoke about the importance of becoming global partners in making the seas safe and prosperous, enhancing logistics efficiency, and supporting the shipping industry.
PM Modi said that “India has emerged as the first responder in the Indian Ocean Region”. He mentioned that in recent months, the Indian Navy has saved hundreds of lives and secured national and international cargo worth thousands of crores, increasing global trust in India, the Indian Navy, and the Coast Guard.
He spoke about the strengthening of India’s economic cooperation with ASEAN, Australia, Gulf countries and African nations, attributing this to India’s presence and capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region.
He also spoke about the importance of enhancing and modernising India’s military capabilities in the 21st century. “Be it land, water, air, the deep sea or infinite space, India is safeguarding its interests everywhere”.
He noted that India is progressing towards the implementation of theatre commands to make the armed forces more efficient. HE lauded the commendable efforts to reduce dependence on other countries during crises and said that the armed forces have identified over 5,000 items and equipment that will no longer be imported.
The PM expressed satisfaction with the Indian Navy’s significant expansion of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, acknowledging the crucial role of Mazagon Dockyard. He mentioned the inclusion of 33 ships and seven submarines in the Indian Navy over the past decade, with 39 out of 40 naval vessels being built in Indian shipyards, including aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and nuclear submarines like INS Arihant and INS Arighat.
The prime minister congratulated the armed forces for propelling the Make in India campaign. He highlighted that India’s defense production has surpassed Rs 1.25 lakh crore and that the country is exporting defence equipment to more than 100 nations. He expressed confidence in the rapid transformation of India’s defense sector with continued support.
“The Make in India initiative is not only enhancing the capabilities of India’s armed forces but also opening new avenues for economic progress”, he said. He said that currently, 60 large ships are under construction in the country, valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore. He said that most of the parts of naval ships came from domestic MSMEs and said that if 2,000 workers are involved in building a ship, it creates around 12,000 jobs in other industries, particularly in the MSME sector.
He emphasised the importance of both outer space and deep sea in the future, adding that India sims to enhance its capabilities in these areas with a Samudrayaan project, which aims to take scientists to a depth of 6,000 metres in the ocean, which he said is a feat achieved by only a few countries.
Later, on Wednesday, PM Modi inaugurated the Sri Sri Radha Madanmohanji Temple of ISKCON in Navi Mumbai, a few kilometres away from Mumbai and also offered prayers at the second-largest ISKCON temple in Asia.
The PM was accompanied by Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and BJP MP Hema Malini during the ceremony.
Speaking after the inauguration, PM Modi said, “Due to ISKCON’s efforts, the Sri Sri Radha Madanmohanji Temple is being inaugurated here on this great land of knowledge and devotion. I am fortunate to have received the virtue of playing a role in such a ritual”.
He said that the outline of Sri Sri Radha Madanmohanji Temple reflects the entire tradition of spirituality and knowledge.
“Keeping in mind the interest and attraction of the new generation, a museum containing the Ramayana and Mahabharata is also being built here,” PM Modi said.
