Union Minister Rajnath Singh Flags Off INS Sunayna from Karnataka for Mission SAGAR under Indian Ocean Outreach.

The Indian Navy (IN)’s Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sunayna, was flagged off as part of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) mission from the Karwar Naval Base, Karnataka.

      - The flag-off took place on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of SAGAR, which was launched in 2015, and also coincided with National Maritime Day on April 5, 2025.

      - Union Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) initiative, stating that it will take SAGAR’s vision forward through wider and stronger regional cooperation.

      - The flagging-off ceremony witnessed the presence of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Rajesh Kumar Singh, along with other senior officials.

Main Point :-   (i) The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sunayna, as part of the IOS SAGAR mission, is carrying 44 naval personnel from nine friendly countries — Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. During its voyage, the ship will visit Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania), Nacala (Mozambique), Port Louis (Mauritius), and Port Victoria (Seychelles), where the international crew will undergo training sessions based on skills learned at naval schools in Kochi, Kerala.

      (ii) The training program includes hands-on activities such as firefighting and damage control, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), bridge and engine room operations, seamanship and boat handling, and switchboard management, aimed at enhancing regional maritime security cooperation and skill-building under the SAGAR framework.

(iii) As part of his visit, Union Minister Rajnath Singh also inaugurated facilities worth ₹2,000 crore under Project Seabird, India’s largest naval infrastructure project, being developed over 11,000 acres at Karwar, Karnataka. The newly unveiled facilities include seven piers, approximately 400 residential units, roads, and bridges, linking different parts of the base. He also participated in Phase 1 of the Naval Commanders’ Conference and reviewed the newly developed infrastructure at the site.
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