Rajnath Singh hails naval tri-commissioning as milestone in maritime capability

New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh Sunday hailed the commissioning of INS Dunagiri, INS Agray and INS Sanshodhak as a "defining moment in India's maritime capability development".The defence minister said the tri-commissioning ceremony, held in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reflected "India's growing strength in defence manufacturing and its commitment to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat".He said the three state-of-the-art naval platforms are a testament to the country's robust defence production ecosystem and its resolve to achieve self-reliance in the sector.Earlier, addressing the tri-commissioning ceremony of three indigenous vessels, PM Modi said that the maritime sector is not an isolated sector and called it the "employment engine of a developed India."

He said that, as a creator, India will also be a global decision maker in the maritime sector.The Prime Minister said, "India aspires to be a Nirmata (creator), and as a creator, we will also become Nirnayak (decisive). We are moving rapidly in this direction. In recent years, more than 40 Made-in-India warships and submarines have joined the Navy. This means that the Indian Navy gains a new strength almost every few weeks. Currently, 45 large naval platforms are under construction. This is not just a number; it is a testament to India's industrial capacity.

It is a sign of India's future.""India's maritime sector has the potential to create millions of new jobs in the coming years. This is why we don't consider the maritime sector merely an isolated sector. We see it as the employment engine of a developed India. A modern ship requires hundreds of tons of steel, electronics, machinery, and thousands of components, and thousands of companies work behind all this. This means that thousands of young people get employment," he added.Further, he said that India has moved into the next phase of being a maritime power with its shipbuilding sector. He noted that more than 200 MSMEs contributed to the construction of the three ships commissioned today.