Indigenous Sail Training Ship INS Sudarshini, Built by Goa Shipyard Limited, Sets Sail for Lokayan 26 Global Expedition

The Sail Training Ship INS Sudarshini, indigenously designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the Indian Navy, was ceremonially flagged off from Naval Base, Kochi, on 20 January 2026, marking the commencement of Lokayan 26, a prestigious long-range transoceanic sailing expedition.

The flag-off was conducted by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, AVSM, NM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, in the presence of senior naval officers, members of the naval fraternity, school children, crew families, and media representatives.

For Goa Shipyard Limited, this landmark voyage stands as a proud testimony to India’s growing self-reliance in defence shipbuilding under Aatmanirbhar Bharat. INS Sudarshini’s participation in Lokayan 26 underscores GSL’s proven capability to design and construct sophisticated sail training vessels that meet exacting naval standards while reflecting India’s rich maritime legacy.

During the ceremony, the Lokayan 26 plaque was unveiled by the FOC-in-C (South). Interacting with the ship’s crew, he highlighted INS Sudarshini’s role as India’s “Ambassador at Large”, noting that the expedition will serve as a bridge of friendship and cooperation across continents. The traditional naval send-off saw the majestic three-masted barque unfurl her sails to the stirring notes of the Naval Band.

Over the course of the ten-month deployment, INS Sudarshini will sail nearly 22,000 nautical miles, visiting 18 ports across 13 countries. A key highlight will be the ship’s debut at the prestigious “Escale à Sète” maritime festival in France (March–April 2026), where she will represent India alongside some of the world’s most renowned tall ships in the Mediterranean. Further enhancing India’s maritime diplomacy, INS Sudarshini will participate in “Sail 250” at New York in July 2026 as part of the United States’ 250th Independence Day celebrations, joining an international parade of sails.

Constructed at Goa Shipyard Limited, INS Sudarshini is a 54-metre sail training ship equipped with 20 sails and a total sail area exceeding 1,000 square metres. The vessel provides an exceptional platform for training naval cadets and officers in traditional seamanship and wind-based navigation, blending heritage with modern naval professionalism.

As INS Sudarshini retraces ancient maritime trade routes while navigating contemporary sea lanes, she carries forward India’s civilisational ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and furthers the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions). For Goa Shipyard Limited, the voyage reaffirms its role as a key enabler of India’s maritime capability, national pride, and global outreach.