President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook a dived sortie onboard INS Vaghsheer, an indigenous Kalvari-class submarine, on the Western Seaboard, marking a rare operational engagement by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Accompanied by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, the President embarked the submarine at Karwar Naval Harbour in Karnataka and spent over two hours interacting with the crew and witnessing operational demonstrations at sea.
Notably, she is only the second President of India to take a submarine sortie, after Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
Describing the experience as special and memorable, the President said the successful firings and demanding operations carried out by INS Vaghsheer reflected the crew’s exceptional preparedness and dedication, in line with its motto ‘Veerta Varchasva Vijaya’.
President Murmu said that witnessing the discipline, confidence and enthusiasm of the crew assured her that India’s submarines and the Indian Navy are combat-ready to meet any threat under all circumstances.
The sortie follows President Murmu’s operational interaction with the Navy in November 2024, when she witnessed a demonstration onboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, underlining continued engagement with the Armed Forces in operational settings.
