By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JAN 15, 2025: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation three frontline naval combatants -  INS Surat,  INS Nilgiri  and  INS Vaghsheer  - on their commissioning at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra on January 15, 2025. Addressing the gathering, Modi said that 15th January is commemorated as Army Day and saluted every brave warrior who would sacrifice his life for the safety and security of the nation. He congratulated all the brave warriors on this occasion.

Remarking that today was a big day for India's maritime heritage, the glorious history of the Navy and the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Prime Minister said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj gave a new strength and vision to the Navy in India. He added that today the Government had taken a major step towards empowering the 21st century Navy of India in the land of Shivaji Maharaj. "It is for the first time that the tri-commissioning of a destroyer, frigate and submarine was being done", highlighted the Prime Minister. He emphasised that it was also a matter of pride that all the three frontline platforms were made in India. He congratulated the Indian Navy, all the stakeholders involved in the construction work and the citizens of India for the achievement.

"Today's program links our glorious heritage with our future aspirations," exclaimed Modi. He added that India has a rich history related to long sea voyages, commerce, naval defence and ship industry. Taking cue from this rich history, he remarked that today's India is emerging as a major maritime power in the world. He added that the platforms launched today displayed a glimpse of the same. The Prime Minister noted the launch of new platforms, including the INS Nilgiri, dedicated to the maritime prowess of the Chola dynasty, and the Surat warship, reminiscent of the era when Gujarat's ports connected India to West Asia. He also mentioned the commissioning of the Vagsheer submarine, the sixth in the P75 class, following the commissioning of the first submarine, Kalvari, a few years ago. These new frontier platforms, the Prime Minister stated, will enhance both India's security and progress.

"India is today recognised as a reliable and responsible partner globally, especially in the Global South," exclaimed the Prime Minister. He emphasised that India operates with a spirit of development, not expansionism. He remarked that India has always supported an open, secure, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific Region. He noted that when it came to the development of coastal nations, India introduced the mantra of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region) and advanced with this vision. Highlighting India's leadership during its G20 presidency, promoting the mantra of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future', Modi also mentioned India's vision of 'One Earth, One Health' during the global fight against COVID-19, underscoring India's belief in treating the world as one family and its commitment to inclusive development. 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, the Prime Minister 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. Modi stressed the importance of becoming global partners in making the seas safe and prosperous, enhancing logistics efficiency, and supporting the shipping industry. He also highlighted the need to prevent the misuse of ocean resources like rare minerals and fish stocks and to develop the capacity to manage them. Noting the importance of investing in new shipping routes and sea lanes of communication and expressing satisfaction that India is continuously taking steps in this direction, the Prime Minister remarked "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. The Prime Minister highlighted 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 emphasised the dual importance of today's event from both military and economic perspectives.

Stressing on the importance of enhancing and modernising India's military capabilities in the 21st century, Modi highlighted, "be it land, water, air, the deep sea or infinite space, India is safeguarding its interests everywhere". He remarked on the continuous reforms being undertaken, including the establishment of the Chief of Defence Staff. He noted that India is progressing towards the implementation of theatre commands to make the armed forces more efficient.

Acknowledging the adoption of Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) by India's armed forces over the past decade, the Prime Minister lauded the commendable efforts to reduce dependence on other countries during crises. He remarked that the armed forces have identified over 5,000 items and equipment that will no longer be imported. He emphasised the enhanced confidence of Indian soldiers using domestically produced equipment. Modi noted the establishment of the country's largest helicopter manufacturing factory in Karnataka and a transport aircraft factory for the armed forces. He highlighted the achievements of the Tejas fighter plane and the development of defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which are accelerating defence production. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the 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 Navy over the past decade, with 39 out of 40 naval vessels being built in Indian shipyards. This includes the majestic INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and nuclear submarines like INS Arihant and INS Arighaat. The Prime Minister congratulated the armed forces for propelling the Make in India campaign. He highlighted that India's defence production has surpassed Rs 1.25 lakh crore and that the country is exporting defence equipment to over 100 nations. He expressed confidence in the rapid transformation of India's defence 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," said Modi. He cited the shipbuilding ecosystem as an example, noting that experts say every rupee invested in shipbuilding has a positive impact of nearly double on the economy. The Prime Minister remarked that currently, 60 large ships are under construction in the country, valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore. He emphasised that this investment would result in an economic circulation of around Rs three lakh crore and a six-fold multiplier effect in terms of employment. Noting that most of the ship parts come from domestic MSMEs, Modi remarked 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.

Emphasising India's rapid progress towards becoming the world's third-largest economy, the Prime Minister remarked that there was continuous growth in manufacturing and export capacity, noting the future need for hundreds of new ships and containers. He added that the port-led development model will accelerate the entire economy and create thousands of new job opportunities. Citing an example of the increasing employment in the seafaring sector, mentioning that the number of seafarers in India has more than doubled from less than 1,25,000 in 2014 to nearly 3,00,000 today, the Prime Minister noted that India now ranks among the top five countries globally in terms of the number of seafarers.

The Prime Minister stressed that the third term of his government has begun with several major decisions and remarked on the rapid formulation of new policies and the initiation of new projects to meet the country's needs. He added that the goal was to ensure development in every corner and sector of the country, with the expansion of the port sector being a part of this vision.   Modi noted that one of the first major decisions in the third term was the approval of the Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra. He added that the construction of this modern port, with an investment of Rs 75,000 crore, has already begun, creating thousands of new job opportunities in Maharashtra.

Highlighting the unprecedented work done in the past decade on infrastructure connectivity related to borders and coastlines, Modi mentioned the recent inauguration of the Sonamarg Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, which will facilitate easier access to border areas like Kargil and Ladakh. He remarked on the inauguration of the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh last year, which is improving the army's access to the LAC. He also noted the ongoing rapid work on critical infrastructure projects like the Shinkun La Tunnel and the Zojila Tunnel. The Prime Minister said that the Bharatmala project was creating a network of excellent national highways in border areas, and the Vibrant Village Program is playing a crucial role in the development of border villages. The Prime Minister  highlighted the focus of the Government on remote islands over the past decade, including regular monitoring and naming of uninhabited islands. He also mentioned the naming of underwater seamounts in the Indian Ocean, with five such locations named last year by an international organization at India's initiative. These include Ashoka Seamount, Harshavardhan Seamount, Raja Raja Chola Seamount, Kalpataru Ridge, and Chandragupta Ridge in the Indian Ocean, enhancing India's pride.

Emphasising the importance of both outer space and deep sea in the future, the Prime Minister highlighted India's efforts to enhance its capabilities in these areas. He remarked on the Samudrayaan project, which aims to take scientists to a depth of 6,000 meters in the ocean, a feat achieved by only a few countries. He stated that the government is leaving no stone unturned in exploring future possibilities.

Stressing the importance of moving forward with confidence in the 21st century by freeing India from symbols of colonialism, Modi highlighted the leadership shown by the Indian Navy in this regard, noting that the Navy has linked its flag to the glorious tradition of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and redesigned the Admiral rank epaulettes accordingly. He remarked that the Make in India initiative and the campaign for self-reliance promote liberation from the colonial mindset. He expressed confidence that the nation will continue to achieve moments of pride and contribute to making India a developed country. He emphasised that while responsibilities may differ, the goal remains the same - Viksit Bharat. The Prime Minister concluded by stating that the new frontier platforms received today will strengthen the nation's resolve and extended his best wishes to all.

Speaking on the occasion, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh described the commissioning of INS Surat, INS Nilgiri & INS Vaghsheer as historic, and a testimony to the growing strength of not just the Indian Navy, but the country as a whole in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Raksha Mantri highlighted the importance of IOR from a geo-strategic & economic point of view, and its growing relevance in today's rapidly changing environment.

Highlighting the importance of IOR from a geo-strategic & economic point of view, and its growing relevance in today's rapidly changing environment, Raksha Mantri said: "A large part of the world's trade and commerce passes through IOR. Due to geo-strategic reasons, the region is also becoming a part of the international power rivalry. Attempts are made for illegal activities such as drug trafficking, narcotics, smuggling, illegal fishing, human trafficking and terrorism. India has had geo-strategic and economic interests in IOR for a very long time. Even today, 95% of India's trade, in terms of volume, is linked to this region. In such a situation, the presence of a strong Indian Navy in IOR becomes our biggest priority. The commissioning of three modern platforms today is an important milestone towards achieving our goal."

Rajnath Singh emphasised that strengthening the country's security system and achieving self-reliance in the defence sector has always been the priority of the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated that the Ministry of Defence is surging ahead by implementing the Prime Minister's mantra of 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence. "Over 75% of the content of INS Surat and INS Nilgiri has been developed in India itself. Indigenous content is also increasing continuously in other platforms being manufactured within the country," he added.

On defence modernisation, which is another focus area of the Government, Raksha Mantri asserted that the three Naval combatants are fully equipped with state-of-the-art systems/technologies, which makes these platforms fully capable of dealing with any situation. "On one hand, we are producing big platforms within the country, on the other, our focus is on low cost and high impact systems, which can make our Armed Forces more potent in a short time. Thus, in the process of rapid modernisation of our forces, we are bringing a balanced mix," he said.

On 2025 being declared the 'Year of Reforms' in the Ministry of Defence, Rajnath Singh voiced the resolve to work on the reforms necessary for the Ministry and the three Services. He exuded confidence of implementing many reforms by the end of year, which would take India's defence sector to greater heights.

Raksha Mantri expressed gratitude to the engineers, machinists, contractors, workers and others associated with the three projects. "Your hard work and dedication have borne fruit. With your dedication, you have enhanced the strength of the Indian Navy. The country is proud of you," he said.

In his address, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi exuded confidence that these three platforms will enhance the capabilities of the Indian Navy and make it even more effective in safeguarding maritime interests. He described the commissioning ceremony as a result of the hard work and efficiency of every member of MDL, NHQ, Western Naval Command, Warship Overseeing Team and field units.

Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister was presented with a Guard of Honour. It was followed by the reading of Commissioning Warrants of the ships and submarine by respective Commanding Officers and hoisting of the Naval Ensign & Commissioning Pennants onboard the three vessels accompanied by National Anthem, which marked the formal commissioning of the three vessels. The Prime Minister toured the three combatants and formally unveiled the Commissioning Plaques onboard.

Governor of Maharashtra  CP Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister  Devendra Fadnavis, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, CMD, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd Sanjiv Singhal and several other dignitaries from the Centre and State governments & industrial partners attended the event.

Background

The commissioning of three major naval combatants marks a significant leap forward in realising India's vision of becoming a global leader in defence manufacturing and maritime security. INS Surat, the fourth & final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Project, ranks among the largest and most sophisticated destroyers in the world. It has an indigenous content of 75% 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. INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene Project, represents India's growing expertise in submarine construction and has been constructed in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.