On the Occasion of the Navy Day 2024, it is a matter of immense pride and singular honour for the Indian Navy to have amongst us the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to witness the Operational Demonstration here at the ‘Blue Flag Beach’ in Puri, Odissa. At the very outset, let me express our sincere gratitude to the Honourable President for having taken out time from her busy schedule to grace this occasion.
I welcome you to the hallowed land of the Sun Temple and the Navy’s own ‘Sunrise Command’. We welcome you to one of the home ports of the great Seafaring ‘Kalinga’ Empire which was a thriving center of maritime trade. Even today, people of Odisha celebrate ‘Bali Jatra’ or ‘Boita Bandana’ on Kartik Purnima to mark their historic association with the seas.
Over the past year, several achievements have elevated Indian Navy’s stature as we have deployed across the oceans, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, including the INSV Tarini which is transiting the Southern Ocean. On the one hand, Indian Navy units have maintained an increased tempo of operations and high state of combat readiness. On the other hand, our bilateral and multilateral engagements have enhanced cooperation with our partners and reinforced India’s image as a responsible partner towards ensuring ‘Security And Growth for All in the Region’ in lines with the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister.
Today’s ‘Operational Demonstration’ has attempted to capture a slice of ‘What we Do at Sea’– demonstrating Navy’s professionalism and our sense of purpose. On Navy Day, we continue to draw inspiration from our illustrious predecessors who forged history in 1971 through their bold and decisive action both in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal to assure India of a glorious victory. We take a moment today to acknowledge our shipmates who have made the supreme sacrifice while we express our gratitude to our veterans who donned the white uniform with pride for many years and today continue to serve the nation post their retirement.
My greetings to all citizens of our country on Navy Day, this is your day too, as we firmly believe that the Indian Navy is every Indian’s Navy, all of 142 crore of us!
Let me on behalf of men and women in whites today reassure the Supreme Commander and all our fellow citizens that the Indian Navy stands as a Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Ready force to safeguard India’s National Maritime Interests … Anytime – Anywhere – Anyhow.
Before I conclude, I would like to once again express our heartfelt gratitude to the Honourable President for celebrating Navy Day with us here today. Your presence is an inspiration for all naval personnel, and the entire Nausena Pariwar.
