President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook a sortie onboard the Indian Navy’s frontline submarine INS Vaghsheer on the Western Seaboard, becoming only the second President of India to experience a submarine sortie.
President Murmu embarked the Indian Navy’s indigenous Kalvari class submarine at the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka. The sortie marked her maiden experience onboard a Kalvari class submarine. She was accompanied by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, officials said.
“This maiden sortie onboard a Kalvari Class Submarine by President Droupadi Murmu is the second by President of India, after former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam,” officials noted. In February 2006, APJ Abdul Kalam became the first President to undertake a submarine sortie.
The President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, donned a naval uniform and waved at naval personnel before entering the submarine.
“President Droupadi Murmu embarked the Indian Navy’s indigenous Kalvari class submarine INS Vaghsheer at Karwar Naval Base,” the President’s secretariat posted on social media.
INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene project, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in January. Navy officials describe it as one of the most silent and versatile diesel-electric submarines in the world.
The submarine is designed to undertake a wide range of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance, and special operations. Armed with wire-guided torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and advanced sonar systems, it also features modular construction that allows for future upgrades, including the integration of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology.
The Indian Navy is developing the Karwar base considering India’s long-term security interests in the Indian Ocean region.
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Published By:
Akshat Trivedi
Published On:
Dec 28, 2025
