Karwar: The multi-purpose warship INS Samarthak was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Karwar-based Karwar Naval Base (Kadamaba Naval Base) on Friday, in a ceremony presided over by Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan.
Karnataka Labour and Employment Minister Santosh S. Lad attended the commissioning ceremony.
INS Samarthak is the first of four multi-purpose vessels being inducted into the Indian Navy. The commissioning was formally marked by hoisting the national tricolour bearing the Navy’s insignia aboard the warship, signalling its induction into service.
The warship has been designed to support future defence operations and incorporates a significant proportion of indigenous equipment. Around 75 per cent of the equipment used in the vessel is indigenously developed, while certain technologies have been sourced from abroad.
Senior naval officials attended the ceremony, including Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command Vice-Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, and head of the warship production division Vice-Admiral Sanjay Sadhu.
Rear Admiral Vikram Menon, Flag Officer Karnataka Naval Area, and Commander Sushil Singh, commanding officer of INS Samarthak, were also present.
Key representatives of Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) and OEMs associated with indigenous equipment were also present during the commissioning ceremony.
Designed and constructed by L&T Shipyard, INS Samarthak marks a significant milestone in India’s indigenous shipbuilding journey as the first major warship to be built by an Indian private shipyard.
The commissioning is a powerful testament to the growing maturity and capability of the nation’s private shipbuilding industry and reflects the deepening synergy between the Indian Navy and the Indian shipbuilding industry in advancing the national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Conceived as a versatile platform for trials and evaluation, INS Samarthak embodies the enhanced technological and operational capabilities of the Indian Navy in the 21st century.
With over 75 per cent indigenous content, the Ship incorporates extensive modular construction and pre-outfitting, significantly optimising the build process and construction timelines.
The project has also contributed to employment generation, capability development and plough back into the Indian economy.
Aptly named Samarthak, meaning ‘The Proponent’, the ship represents the spirit of a dependable enabler, capable of supporting multiple missions and has been designed with inherent versatility and adaptability, enabling it to undertake a diverse range of operational and developmental tasks.
True to its name, INS Samarthak is capable of undertaking maritime surveillance and reconnaissance, offshore patrolling, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations, as required.
The official statement said, “Addressing the gathering, the Chief Guest underscored the strategic significance of indigenously built naval platforms in strengthening the country’s maritime capabilities and enhancing the Indian Navy’s ability to undertake an increasingly wide spectrum of operational and testing missions.”
The commissioning of INS Samarthak reinforces the nation’s commitment to maritime security, regional stability and cooperative engagement across the Indian Ocean Region. The ship epitomises India’s sustained pursuit of a self-reliant and resilient domestic defence industrial ecosystem.
The induction of INS Samarthak significantly strengthens India’s ability to test and train on new sensors and weapons developed indigenously by domestic industry. The ship’s versatility is an advantage in an unpredictable maritime environment, given the rise of non-traditional maritime threats.
(IANS)
