On November 21, 2021, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, INS Visakhapatnam, a P15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy. The ceremony commemorates the ceremonial induction of the first of four 'Visakhapatnam' class destroyers, which were developed in-house by the Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai.
Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the Indian Navy"s efforts to attain "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" by ordering 39 of the 41 ships and submarines from Indian shipyards. He called the INS Vikrant indigenous aircraft carrier a major step toward Aatmanirbharta (Aatmanirbharta means self-reliance).
The Raksha Mantri emphasised the importance of keeping the Indo-Pacific area open, safe, and secure, calling it the Indian Navy"s top goal. He claimed that India"s interests are inextricably connected to the Indian Ocean. The area is critical to the global economy. "Problems such as piracy, terrorism, illicit smuggling of weaponry and drugs, human trafficking, illegal fishing, and environmental devastation are all equally to blame for harming the marine realm." As a result, the Indian Navy"s position in the Indo-Pacific area becomes critical," he said.
