INS Sudarshini Returns to Kochi After Lokayan 26 Sail Expedition

INS Sudarshini, the sail training ship of the Indian Navy, sailed into Kochi on 2 November 2026 at the close of Lokayan 26, a transoceanic sailing expedition that ran for ten months. The ship was received with a water cannon salute and a ceremonial welcome by the Naval Band, with families of the crew waiting at the harbour. Across the deployment the vessel had logged more than 22,000 nautical miles of ocean passage.

Who received the ship

The Flag-in Ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command. He commended the crew for their perseverance, professionalism and resilience, and said that finishing so rare a feat showed the standards the Navy keeps in sail training, seamanship and operational preparedness. He added that the voyage put India's maritime heritage before the world and carried forward the country's effort to widen cooperation at sea.

The route

• Lokayan 26 was flagged off from Kochi on 20 January 2026 and ended at the same port
• The ship made 17 port calls in 11 countries spread over Asia, Europe, Africa and North America
• The deployment included two crossings of the Atlantic Ocean
• One Atlantic passage of 2,200 nautical miles, sailed over 19 days, was the longest distance the ship covered entirely under sail

Events abroad

Two engagements stood out. The ship joined the Escale a Sete maritime heritage festival in France, and it took part in SAIL 250 and the International Naval Review held as part of commemorative events in the United States. Weather and sea conditions on the Atlantic leg were difficult, which made the run under sail alone a test of endurance, teamwork and navigation.

Training and outreach

Professional interactions and cross-training were arranged with the Royal Moroccan Navy, the Portuguese Navy, the Italian Navy, the Egyptian Navy and the Spanish Navy. At each halt the ship was opened to visitors and the crew met members of the Indian diaspora, so the vessel worked as a floating ambassador for India's seafaring past. The expedition reflected the maritime vision named MAHASAGAR, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, and the older idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, that the world is one family.

Underneath the diplomacy the purpose stayed what it had always been, namely training. Young officer trainees aboard practised ocean navigation, watchkeeping, handling of sails, rigging work, reading the weather and the daily routine of running a ship at sea, the kind of schooling only a long passage can give.