Prime Minister Shri 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, Shri 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 Shri 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’, Shri 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. Shri 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, Shri 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. Shri 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 Shri 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, Shri 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. Shri 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.
