INS Sagardhwan flags off for Sagar Maitri

INS Sagardhwani, India’s oceanographic research vessel under the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of DRDO, was flagged off for the fifth edition of the Sagar Maitri (SM-5) initiative from Southern Naval Command, Kochi on Saturday, January 17, 2026. The vessel was flagged off Radha Mohan Singh,Chairperson, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, in the presence of Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO; RAdm Upal Kundu, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command; Dr R. V. Hara Prasad, Director General (Naval Systems & Materials); and Dr Duvvuri Seshagiri, Director, NPOL, along with senior officials from the Indian Navy and DRDO. Sagar Maitri is a flagship collaborative initiative of the Indian Navy and DRDO, aligned with the Government of India’s vision of 'Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR)'. The initiative aims to promote closer cooperation in socio-economic aspects and greater scientific interaction, especially in ocean research, among Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries. Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi has been conducting oceanographic missions under the Sagar Maitri programme with the objective of strengthening scientific cooperation and capacity building among IOR nations. Under the aegis of this programme, DRDO initiated a scientific component titled 'MAITRI (Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative)' to establish long-term collaboration with IOR countries in the field of ocean research and development.INS Sagardhwani is a specialised marine acoustic research vessel designed by NPOL and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE). Commissioned in Jul 1994, the ship has served as a key platform for ocean observations and marine research for over three decades, contributing significantly to India’s maritime scientific capabilities.