The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) today flagged off its oceanographic research vessel, INS Sagardhwani, for the two-month-long SAGAR MAITRI Mission-2 from the South Jetty of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) in Kochi.
The mission was flagged off by Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, in the presence of Vice Admiral Anil K. Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (South). Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh extended his best wishes for the success of the mission.
SAGAR MAITRI is a flagship initiative of DRDO aligned with the Government of India’s broader vision of “Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR),” articulated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The initiative aims to strengthen regional cooperation in socio-economic and scientific domains, with a specific focus on ocean research among Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries. The scientific component of this initiative is anchored under MAITRI (Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative).
INS Sagardhwani has been designed and developed by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, a premier DRDO laboratory. The vessel plays a critical role in conducting oceanographic experiments in Indian waters and leads NPOL’s at-sea data collection efforts.
SAGAR MAITRI Mission-2 also commemorates the Golden Jubilee of India’s historic oceanographic expeditions undertaken by INS Kistna during the International Indian Ocean Expeditions (1962–65). As part of this mission, INS Sagardhwani will retrace selected routes of INS Kistna, enabling scientists to collaborate closely with their counterparts across IOR nations.
