The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced the launch ceremony of Vindhyagiri – the sixth ship of project 17A of Indian Navy at Garden Reach Shipbuilders Engineers Limited, Kolkata, West Bengal today (August 17, 2023).
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the launch of Vindhyagiri marks a move forward in enhancing India’s maritime capabilities.
It is also a step towards achieving the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat through indigenous shipbuilding. Project 17A of which Vindhyagiri is a part reflects our commitment to self-reliance and technological advancement. This project demonstrates indigenous innovation for developing state-of-the-art technology.
The President said that today, India is the fifth largest economy in the world and we are striving to become the third largest economy in the near future.
She added that growing economy means higher volumes of trade and huge part of our trade-goods transit through the seas which highlights the importance of oceans to our growth and well-being.
The President said that the security in the Indian Ocean Region and the larger Indo-Pacific has many aspects and the Navy has to always remain proactive in tackling security threats.