‘Indian-built ships symbolise sovereignty’: Rajnath Singh ahead of ICG vessel commissioning

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said ships built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and other Indian shipyards are “floating symbols of India’s sovereignty”, reflecting the country’s presence, capability and resolve in the maritime domain. His remarks came during a visit to GSL on the eve of the commissioning of the Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) Samudra Pratap into the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

Samudra Pratap, the first of two pollution control vessels being built by GSL, will be commissioned in Goa on January 5 in the presence of the Defence Minister.

Emphasising the importance of self-reliance in defence, Singh said Aatmanirbharta is not a luxury but a strategic necessity. He credited institutions such as GSL for translating this vision into reality by developing indigenous capabilities, absorbing advanced technologies and strengthening design expertise, leading to timely delivery of platforms to the armed forces.

Highlighting the evolving maritime security environment, the Defence Minister said India faces a range of traditional and non-traditional threats at sea, including narcotics trafficking, illegal fishing, human trafficking, environmental crimes and grey-zone challenges. In this context, he underlined the critical role of Indian shipyards, describing GSL-located in a city central to India’s maritime history and naval heritage – as a key pillar of the country’s defence ecosystem.

“A ship is not just an amalgamation of steel, machinery and technology; it symbolises the trust of the people and the expectations of the armed forces,” Singh said, adding that GSL has consistently lived up to this responsibility.

The Defence Minister also said India is emerging as a proactive maritime nation with a growing role in ensuring stability, cooperation and a rules-based order across the Indian Ocean Region. He urged shipyards to continue strengthening India’s maritime credibility and to adapt to the rapidly changing technological landscape.

Calling for greater integration of advanced technologies, Singh stressed the need to equip naval platforms with state-of-the-art systems, AI-enabled maintenance solutions and cyber-secure platforms to maintain an edge over adversaries. He expressed confidence that GSL would demonstrate leadership in this transformation.

Singh also praised GSL’s efforts in building a high-technology dredger for Belgium and called for an enhanced focus on defence exports, in line with the government’s objective of making India a net defence exporter. “To realise the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, we must ensure continuous progress through hard work and commitment,” he said, assuring full government support for strengthening the capabilities of defence manufacturing institutions.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Director General of the Indian Coast Guard Paramesh Sivamani, GSL Chairman and Managing Director Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay, and shipyard personnel were present during the visit.