Nari Shakti sails: All-women circumnavigation mission of Indian armed forces begins from Gateway of India

MUMBAI, DHNS: In a first for the Indian armed forces, an all-women circumnavigation mission set sail from the iconic Gateway of India in  Mumbai on Thursday. 

Named, Samudra Pradakshina, the first-ever all-women circumnavigation mission in the world.

The team is expected to return in May 2026. 

The round-the-world sailing expedition onboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni was flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually from South Block in New Delhi in presence of  Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh were present with Raksha Mantri in South Block during the virtual flag-off. 

Samudra Pradakshina.

The Crew.

Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and other senior officials were present at Gateway of India.

Singh described the voyage as a glowing symbol of Nari Shakti, the collective strength, unity and jointness of the three Services, Aatmanirbhar Bharat and its military diplomacy and global vision.

According to Singh, it is not only a voyage onboard a ship, but also a spiritual sadhana and a journey of discipline and willpower. 

“During the expedition, our officers may face numerous challenges, but their flame of determination will pierce through the darkness. They will return home safely, showing the world that the valour of Indian women is beyond any limits,” he said.

The yacht, named after the confluence of three services, reflects the spirit of togetherness and synergy between the three Services. 

The expedition will be spread over the next eight to nine months.

The team comprises five Army officers, one Naval officer and four Air Force officers. 

The expedition leader is  Lieutenant Colonel Anuja Varudkar while Squadron Leader Shraddha P Raju will be her deputy.

The other members are Major Karamjeet Kaur, Major Omita Sanjeev Dalvi, Major Dauli Butola, Captain Prajakta P Nikam, Lieutenant Colonel Priyanka Gusain, Wing Commander Vibha Singh, Squadron Leader Aruvi Jayadev and Squadron Leader Vaishali Bhandari.

This is also the first time that the Indian armed forces are jointly leading a circumnavigation mission, making it a milestone in India’s maritime journey and a shining example of Nari Shakti in uniform. 

The team, over a period of the last two and half years, has undergone a rigorous training regime in every domain, including a training expedition to Seychelles. 

They were trained by experienced and well-qualified instructors from Heavy Bridging Training Camp (HBTC) in Marve, in multifarious skills like navigation, communication, scuba diving, basic medicals and first aid, apart from basic and intermediate blue-water sailing courses. 

The voyage

The officers will sail more than 26,000 nautical miles, crossing the Equator twice and rounding the Three Great Capes – Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. 

Their voyage will cover all major oceans and some of the most dangerous waters on the planet, including the Southern Ocean and the Drake Passage, testing human resilience against nature’s toughest challenges. The expedition is likely to be completed over a period of nine months and the team would visit four foreign ports - Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Canada) and Cape Town (South Africa) -  before returning to Mumbai in May 2026. 

The vessel

IASV Triveni, a 50-foot yacht built indigenously in Puducherry, is an embodiment of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Equipped with modern navigation and communication systems, it has already logged 10,000 nautical miles in training and is now set to take on the global challenge.  This all-women tri-services circumnavigation is more than a sailing expedition. It is a celebration of India’s growing maritime strength, the spirit of Nari Shakti breaking new barriers and the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat charting its course on the world stage.