News: The Raksha Mantri virtually flagged off Samudra Pradakshina, a Tri-service all-women circumnavigation expedition, from the Gateway of India, Mumbai.
About Samudra Pradakshina
- It is a nine-month voyage by 10 women officers aboard the indigenously built Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni.
- The team will sail about 26,000 nautical miles on an easterly route, round Capes Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope, make four international port calls, and return to Mumbai in May 2026.
- Aims
- Commemorate Nari Shakti and the vision for Viksit Bharat.
- Demonstrate jointness and unity of the three Services.
- Showcase Aatmanirbhar Bharat and India’s global vision through maritime diplomacy.
- Objective
- Complete a global circumnavigation in accordance with WSSRC norms—cross all longitudes, undertake Equator crossings, and cover over 21,600 nautical miles under sail alone, without canals or powered transit.
- Conduct scientific work with the National Institute of Oceanography, including micro-plastics study, documentation of ocean life, and awareness on marine health..
- Features
- Platform: IASV Triveni, a 50-foot, indigenously built yacht from Puducherry.
- Crew: A 10-member Tri-service team led by Expedition Leader Lieutenant Colonel Anuja Varudkar; Deputy Expedition Leader Squadron Leader Shraddha P Raju.
- Preparation: Three years of offshore training from Class B vessels to the Class A IASV Triveni (acquired in October 2024), including a Mumbai–Seychelles–Mumbai voyage.
- Past Examples
- First solo global (UK) non-stop circumnavigation (1969): Sir Robin Knox-Johnston completed the first solo non-stop circumnavigation in 1969.
- First solo Indian circumnavigation (2009–10): Captain Dilip Donde completed
- First Indian non-stop circumnavigation (2012–13): Commander Abhilash Tomy.
- The Indian Navy’s Navika Sagar Parikrama (2017–18) and Navika Sagar Parikrama-II (2024–25) on INSV Tarini were successful circumnavigation expeditions.
