President Ram Nath Kovind lauded the Indian Navy’s persistent vigilance in preserving the Indian Ocean Region after inspecting more than 60 ships and submarines of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and Shipping Corporation of India as part of the country’s 12th President’s Fleet Review. He also stated that because of the Navy’s rapid and effective deployment, India has become a preferred security partner in the area.
Every president’s tenure is marked by the President’s Fleet Review. The most recent occurred in 2016 when President Pranab Mukherjee was in office. “The oceans provide a large amount of our economic and energy demands. As a result, the safety of the oceans and the marine commons remains a key demand. In this regard, the Indian Navy’s continual vigilance, swift response to occurrences, and unwavering efforts have been exceedingly successful,” President Kovind stated.
“India’s aim of becoming the preferred security partner and first responder in the Indian Ocean Region has been highlighted by the Indian Navy’s rapid and successful deployment in times of crisis,” he said. “It gives me great pleasure to inspect the readiness of Indian naval ships, submarines, aircraft, and other maritime power elements today,” he remarked.
The strategic importance of Vishakhapatnam, where the fleet review was held on Monday, was highlighted by Kovind, who stated that it’s “underlined by the fact that the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is located here.” India had recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and had made a “glorious contribution” during the 1971 war. “I recall the Eastern Naval Command’s valiant efforts in the naval blockade of then-East Pakistan and the sinking of Pakistan’s submarine Ghazi. He described it as a “decisive blow” to Pakistan.
He reaffirmed the country’s commitment to SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), emphasizing the need to “concentrate on cooperation measures for sustainable ocean use.” Kovind praised the Navy for “becoming increasingly self-reliant and has been in the vanguard” of the government’s Make in India effort, referring to the Navy’s years-long push to make a substantial share of its vessels in India.
He added that the Navy frequently participates with a vast number of different navies across the world as part of bilateral and multilateral exercises. “The goal is to improve interoperability, learn from best practices, develop a common understanding, and build mutual confidence to address maritime issues,” Kovind said, expressing his best wishes for the upcoming multinational naval exercise Milan 2022, which is set to begin later this week and will involve more than 35 navies from around the world.