Rajnath flags off all-women Tri-services circumnavigation sailing expedition

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday virtually flagged off an all-women Tri-services circumnavigation sailing expedition 'Samudra Pradakshina'.

Triveni, the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV), set sail from the Gateway of India, Mumbai.

Singh described the voyage as a glowing symbol of 'Nari Shakti' — the collective strength, unity and jointness of the three Services, 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and its military diplomacy and global vision.

Over the next nine months, 10 women officers will sail onboard the indigenously built IASV Triveni on an easterly route covering approximately 26,000 nautical miles. They will cross the Equator twice, round the three great Capes — Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope — covering all major oceans and some of the most dangerous waters, including the Southern Ocean and the Drake Passage.

The team will also make four international port calls before returning to Mumbai in May 2026. The IASV Triveni, a 50-foot yacht, has been indigenously built in Puducherry.

The 10-member crew includes Expedition Leader Lieutenant Colonel Anuja Varudkar, Deputy Expedition Leader Squadron Leader Shraddha P Raju, along with Major Karamjeet Kaur, Major Omita Dalvi, Captain Prajakta P Nikam, Captain Dauli Butola, Lieutenant Commander Priyanka Gusain, Wing Commander Vibha Singh, Squadron Leader Aruvi Jayadev and Squadron Leader Vaishali Bhandari.

The team has undergone three years of rigorous training, beginning with smaller offshore expeditions on Class B vessels and advancing to IASV Triveni, a Class A yacht acquired in October 2024. Their preparation included progressively challenging voyages along India’s western seaboard and a landmark international expedition from Mumbai to Seychelles and back earlier this year, which validated their seamanship, endurance and self-sufficiency.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh were present with the Minister at his office at South Block, New Delhi.

Western Naval Commander Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was present at Gateway of India when the vessel sailed out.