INS Tarkash Ends Port Call at Port Louis, Mauritius

The Indian Navy ship INS Tarkash completed a port call at Port Louis, Mauritius, on 3 November 2026. The visit mixed naval diplomacy with training and community work, and the Ministry of Defence described it as a reaffirmation of the long maritime partnership between the two countries.

Official calls

The Commanding Officer called on Kan Oye Fong, Secretary of Home Affairs of Mauritius, and on Rampersad Sooroojebally, PMSM, the Commissioner of Police. The Commissioner of Police also came aboard the ship and spent time with the crew.

Aapravasi Diwas

The ship hosted a cultural exchange on board to mark Aapravasi Diwas 2026, with Mahend Gungapersad, Mauritius's Minister of Education and Human Resource, as Guest of Honour. Anurag Srivastava, India's High Commissioner to Mauritius, and other guests attended. On 2 November 2026 the ship took part in the events held for the 192nd Aapravasi Diwas, the day Mauritius remembers the arrival of indentured Indian labourers, which gives the occasion a strong link to the island's Indian-origin population.

Training and outreach

The crew carried out cross-training for personnel of the Mauritius Coast Guard, sharing drills and professional practice. They also visited Hospice Saint Jean de Dieu for an outreach activity, the community side of such visits.

At sea

Before leaving, the ship exercised at sea with its host. It conducted a PASSEX, or passage exercise, with CGS Valiant of the Mauritius Coast Guard, and then joint surveillance of the Exclusive Economic Zone alongside the Coast Guard, with a Dornier aircraft providing air support. Joint patrols of this kind help a smaller littoral state watch a large maritime zone, and India has long assisted Mauritius in that task.

INS Tarkash has since moved on to the next phase of its operational deployment. Port calls such as this one are a routine instrument of India's maritime outreach in the Indian Ocean Region, combining ship visits, exercises with host navies and coast guards, training and public engagement in a single stop.