Ministry of Defence press release · 2 March 2026 · pibtracker filter

Raksha Rajya Mantri flags-in INSV Kaundinya following successful completion of its maiden overseas voyage to Oman

PRID2234632 MinistryMinistry of Defence Released2 March 2026 Reading9 min

Shri Sanjay Seth encourages youth to embrace adventure & innovation rooted in civilisational confidence Posted On: 02 MAR 2026 6:38PM by PIB Delhi Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, on March 02, 2026, flagged-in to Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya, a traditionally constructed stitched sailing vessel of the Indian Navy, which has returned home after the successful completion of her historic maiden overseas voyage to Muscat, Oman. Addressing the gathering, Raksha Rajya Mantri highlighted the national significance of the project, stating that INSV Kaundinya represented the revival of India’s ancient maritime knowledge systems and would serve as an inspiration to the youth of the country. He underscored the courage, resilience, and the spirit of rediscovery reflected by the voyage, encouraging young Indians to embrace adventure and innovation rooted in civilisational confidence. Speaking on the occasion, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan commended the crew for their extraordinary dedication and professionalism in sailing a traditionally constructed stitched vessel across the Arabian Sea. He underscored the immense hard work involved from conceptualisation and research to design, traditional construction, crew training and execution of the voyage. Operating a square-sailed, stitched wooden vessel without modern structural reinforcements required exceptional planning, seamanship, teamwork, and endurance, making the successful completion of the expedition a remarkable achievement for the Indian Navy. As INSV Kaundinya made her ceremonial entry, she was welcomed with a colourful parade of sails and a traditional water arc salute, creating a spectacular and emotionally charged atmosphere in the harbour. The event symbolised both pride in India’s maritime heritage and admiration for the crew’s accomplishment. Consul General of the Sultanate of Oman Mr Mahboob Issa Alraisi in Mumbai, senior officers, veterans, representatives from Hodi Innovations, eminent members of civil society, members of the maritime community, historians and sailing enthusiasts were present on the occasion. INSV Kaundinya is a 20-metre, traditionally constructed stitched sailing vessel of the Indian Navy, inspired by a 5th century CE depiction from the Ajanta Caves. Built using ancient Indian shipbuilding techniques in which wooden planks are stitched together with coir rope and sealed with natural resins, the vessel represents a revival of India’s rich maritime heritage. Inducted into the Navy in May 2025 and named after the legendary mariner Kaundinya, she symbolises India’s historic seafaring traditions and civilisational linkages across the Indian Ocean. ******** VK/VM/Savvy (Release ID: 2234632) Visitor Counter : 2311 Read this release in: Urdu , Marathi , हिन्दी , Telugu Ministry of Defence Raksha Rajya Mantri flags-in INSV Kaundinya following successful completion of its maiden overseas voyage to Oman Shri Sanjay Seth encourages youth to embrace adventure & innovation rooted in civilisational confidence Posted On: 02 MAR 2026 6:38PM by PIB Delhi Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, on March 02, 2026, flagged-in to Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya, a traditionally constructed stitched sailing vessel of the Indian Navy, which has returned home after the successful completion of her historic maiden overseas voyage to Muscat, Oman. Addressing the gathering, Raksha Rajya Mantri highlighted the national significance of the project, stating that INSV Kaundinya represented the revival of India’s ancient maritime knowledge systems and would serve as an inspiration to the youth of the country. He underscored the courage, resilience, and the spirit of rediscovery reflected by the voyage, encouraging young Indians to embrace adventure and innovation rooted in civilisational confidence. Speaking on the occasion, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan commended the crew for their extraordinary dedication and professionalism in sailing a traditionally constructed stitched vessel across the Arabian Sea. He underscored the immense hard work involved from conceptualisation and research to design, traditional construction, crew training and execution of the voyage. Operating a square-sailed, stitched wooden vessel without modern structural reinforcements required exceptional planning, seamanship, teamwork, and endurance, making the successful completion of the expedition a remarkable achievement for the Indian Navy. As INSV Kaundinya made her ceremonial entry, she was welcomed with a colourful parade of sails and a traditional water arc salute, creating a spectacular and emotionally charged atmosphere in the harbour. The event symbolised both pride in India’s maritime heritage and admiration for the crew’s accomplishment. Consul General of the Sultanate of Oman Mr Mahboob Issa Alraisi in Mumbai, senior officers, veterans, representatives from Hodi Innovations, eminent members of civil society, members of the maritime community, historians and sailing enthusiasts were present on the occasion. INSV Kaundinya is a 20-metre, traditionally constructed stitched sailing vessel of the Indian Navy, inspired by a 5th century CE depiction from the Ajanta Caves. Built using ancient Indian shipbuilding techniques in which wooden planks are stitched together with coir rope and sealed with natural resins, the vessel represents a revival of India’s rich maritime heritage. Inducted into the Navy in May 2025 and named after the legendary mariner Kaundinya, she symbolises India’s historic seafaring traditions and civilisational linkages across the Indian Ocean. ******** VK/VM/Savvy (Release ID: 2234632) Shri Sanjay Seth encourages youth to embrace adventure & innovation rooted in civilisational confidence" /> Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, on March 02, 2026, flagged-in to Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya, a traditionally constructed stitched sailing vessel of the Indian Navy, which has returned home after the successful completion of her historic maiden overseas voyage to Muscat, Oman. Addressing the gathering, Raksha Rajya Mantri highlighted the national significance of the project, stating that INSV Kaundinya represented the revival of India’s ancient maritime knowledge systems and would serve as an inspiration to the youth of the country. He underscored the courage, resilience, and the spirit of rediscovery reflected by the voyage, encouraging young Indians to embrace adventure and innovation rooted in civilisational confidence. <img alt="A large boat with sailsDescription automatically generated with medium confidence" src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image001TACW.jpg" style="height:338px; width:501px" /> <img alt="A group of men standing on a red carpetDescription automatically generated" src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image0023JVH.jpg" style="height:342px; width:496px" />   Speaking on the occasion, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan commended the crew for their extraordinary dedication and professionalism in sailing a traditionally constructed stitched vessel across the Arabian Sea. He underscored the immense hard work involved from conceptualisation and research to design, traditional construction, crew training and execution of the voyage. <img alt="A couple of men in uniform holding a trophyDescription automatically generated" src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image003J06O.jpg" style="height:363px; width:463px" /> Operating a square-sailed, stitched wooden vessel without modern structural reinforcements required exceptional planning, seamanship, teamwork, and endurance, making the successful completion of the expedition a remarkable achievement for the Indian Navy. As INSV Kaundinya made her ceremonial entry, she was welcomed with a colourful parade of sails and a traditional water arc salute, creating a spectacular and emotionally charged atmosphere in the harbour. The event symbolised both pride in India’s maritime heritage and admiration for the crew’s accomplishment. <img alt="Several boats in the waterDescription automatically generated" src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image004Y13K.jpg" style="height:216px; width:570px" /> Consul General of the Sultanate of Oman Mr Mahboob Issa Alraisi in Mumbai, senior officers, veterans, representatives from Hodi Innovations, eminent members of civil society, members of the maritime community, historians and sailing enthusiasts were present on the occasion. INSV Kaundinya is a 20-metre, traditionally constructed stitched sailing vessel of the Indian Navy, inspired by a 5th century CE depiction from the Ajanta Caves. Built using ancient Indian shipbuilding techniques in which wooden planks are stitched together with coir rope and sealed with natural resins, the vessel represents a revival of India’s rich maritime heritage. Inducted into the Navy in May 2025 and named after the legendary mariner Kaundinya, she symbolises India’s historic seafaring traditions and civilisational linkages across the Indian Ocean. <img alt="A group of people in uniform standing in front of flagsDescription automatically generated" src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image005W79V.jpg" style="height:367px; width:551px" /> ******** VK/VM/Savvy " /> var mPlayer = document.getElementById("background_music"); var mPlayAction = document.getElementById("playbutton"); var isPlaying = false; function playAudio() { mPlayer.play(); isPlaying = true; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "none"; } function pauseAudio() { mPlayer.pause(); isPlaying = false; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "none"; } //function HandleAudio() { // if (isPlaying == true) { // //Playing already Pause it // pauseAudio(); // } else { // //Play the music // playAudio(); // } //} var synth = window.speechSynthesis; function CleanHtml(html) { html = html.replace(/ /gi, ''); return html; } function stripHtml(html) { let tmp = document.createElement("DIV"); tmp.innerHTML = CleanHtml(html); return tmp.textContent || tmp.innerText || ""; } $(document).ready(function () { //for responsive tables $("table").each(function () { if (!$(this).closest(".table-responsive").length) { $(this).wrap(" "); } }); var width = $(window).width(); if (width $(document).ready(function () { var width = $(window).width(); if (width @media print { .sticky-social, .sticky-social_mb, .pull-right, #printPDF { display: none !important; } } .f_vl { padding-right: 30px; font-size: 17px; cursor: pointer; } .log_oo { // width: 20%; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; } .log_oo img { width: 150px; /*width: 100%; height: auto;*/ } .sticky-social_mb { position: fixed; bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 100%; } .social_mb { list-style: none; 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Raksha Rajya Mantri flags-in INSV Kaundinya following successful completion of its maiden overseas voyage to Oman

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