Maritime Strength Defines Bharat’s Strategic Power: PM Modi

• Three indigenous naval ships commissioned.
• INS Agray, Dunagiri and Sanshodhak inducted.
• PM stresses maritime strength and self-reliance.
• Over 200 MSMEs contributed to construction.

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 21st June: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday commissioned three indigenously designed and built naval ships — INS Agray, INS Dunagiri and INS Sanshodhak — at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata, strengthening India’s maritime capabilities and defence self-reliance.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said a nation’s economic and strategic influence is directly linked to its maritime strength, adding that India is preparing itself to become a major maritime power.

“The journey from INS Vikrant to INS Agray, INS Dunagiri and INS Sanshodhak is the journey of India’s growing self-reliance,” the Prime Minister said.

The three warships, designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, have more than 75 per cent indigenous content with contributions from over 200 MSMEs.

Modi noted that the commissioning of INS Sanshodhak on World Hydrography Day was a significant coincidence and highlighted India’s rapid progress in indigenous shipbuilding.

The Prime Minister said India has moved beyond being a defence importer and is now focusing on becoming a global manufacturing hub. He noted that defence production has increased from around ₹40,000 crore in 2014 to nearly ₹1.8 lakh crore.

Emphasising the importance of the maritime sector, Modi said shipbuilding, ship repair and MRO have been taken up as a national mission, with initiatives such as Sagarmala and the ₹70,000-crore incentive package aimed at strengthening India’s maritime economy.

He said India has always viewed oceans as a medium of cooperation, but added that security and self-reliance are essential for protecting prosperity and building the future.