INS Sudarshini Embarks on a Historic Global Voyage, Showcasing India’s Maritime Spirit

The Indian Navy’s elegant sail training ship INS Sudarshini has embarked on a landmark global expedition, marking a proud moment for India’s maritime tradition. Flagged off from Naval Base Kochi, the voyage—named Lokayan 26—signals the Navy’s continued commitment to nurturing seamanship, strengthening international engagement, and projecting India’s civilisational connection with the seas. The departure ceremony reflected both tradition and purpose, with senior naval leadership highlighting the symbolic and strategic importance of the mission.

INS Sudarshini, Indian Navy's sail training ship, images via PIB and Indian Navy on X | OpIndia

An Ambitious Journey Across Oceans

Over the next ten months, INS Sudarshini will traverse nearly 22,000 nautical miles, sailing across major oceans and sea routes that have historically connected India to the wider world. The ship is scheduled to visit 18 ports in 13 countries, spanning regions such as the Arabian Sea, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Each port call is designed to deepen people-to-people contact, foster goodwill, and strengthen maritime cooperation with partner nations.

Training the Next Generation of Mariners

At the heart of the Lokayan 26 mission lies a rigorous training programme for naval and coast guard cadets. Sailing on a wind-powered vessel exposes trainees to the fundamentals of navigation, meteorology and seamanship in their purest form. The experience instils discipline, teamwork and resilience—qualities that remain essential even in an era dominated by advanced naval technology. For many young sailors, this voyage will serve as a formative chapter in their naval careers.

A Floating Ambassador of Indian Culture

INS Sudarshini is more than a training platform; it is a floating ambassador of India’s maritime heritage. Throughout its journey, the ship will represent India at major international maritime events, including celebrated tall-ship festivals in Europe and North America. These appearances offer a powerful opportunity to showcase India’s naval professionalism, cultural ethos and centuries-old seafaring legacy to a global audience.

Design Rooted in Tradition, Built in India

Constructed indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited, INS Sudarshini is a three-masted barque that blends classical design with modern naval standards. Equipped with multiple sails spread across a vast sail area, the ship relies primarily on wind power, reinforcing traditional sailing skills that have shaped navies for generations. Since its commissioning, INS Sudarshini has played a vital role in sail training and maritime diplomacy, continuing a proud lineage begun by earlier Indian Navy sailing vessels.

Strategic and Diplomatic Significance

The Lokayan 26 expedition aligns closely with India’s broader maritime vision, which emphasises cooperation, security and shared prosperity across the seas. By engaging with navies, maritime institutions and local communities across continents, the voyage strengthens India’s role as a responsible and reliable maritime partner. It also reflects the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the belief that the world is one family—translated into action on the high seas.

The MGMM Outlook

INS Sudarshini’s Lokayan 26 voyage reflects India’s renewed confidence in projecting its maritime identity through a blend of tradition, training and diplomacy. Flagged off from Kochi, the expedition underlines the Indian Navy’s belief that the seas remain central to India’s civilisational and strategic outlook. By covering vast oceanic routes and visiting multiple ports across continents, the mission reinforces long-standing maritime linkages while quietly advancing people-to-people contact and naval goodwill. The journey also signals that India’s engagement with the world is not merely strategic, but cultural and historical, rooted in centuries of seafaring exchange.

Equally significant is the voyage’s focus on shaping future naval leadership and showcasing indigenous capability. Training cadets aboard a wind-powered sailing vessel preserves core seamanship skills that technology cannot replace, building discipline, resilience and teamwork at sea. As an indigenously built ship participating in global maritime events, INS Sudarshini stands as a symbol of self-reliance and soft power, carrying Indian values, professionalism and the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam across international waters. Through this voyage, India presents itself as a responsible maritime nation—confident in its heritage, committed to cooperation, and comfortable on the global stage.

(Sources: Economic Times, OpIndia, News Indian Express)