Indian Navy’s ‘Naman’ car rally concludes in Kolkata
Kolkata: The Indian Navy’s ‘Naman’ Car Rally, commemorating the commissioning of its 100th indigenous warship, culminated at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd in Kolkata on Monday.
The rally, flagged off from the National Maritime Heritage Complex in Lothal on October 29, traversed the Indian coastline with stops at Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, Kanyakumari, Chennai and Visakhapatnam before reaching GRSE.
Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, flagged in the rally.
Senior naval officials, including Cmde PR Hari (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director of GRSE, Rear Admiral Sujit Bakshi and Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi, attended the event.
Of the 100 indigenous warships commissioned into the Navy, GRSE has delivered 73, starting with INS Ajay in 1961.
The milestone 100th warship, INS Udaygiri, joined the fleet alongside INS Himgiri, an advanced guided missile frigate under Project 17A.
Recent additions include ‘Androth’, an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, and INS Ikshak, a Survey Vessel Large commissioned on November 6.
Vice Admiral Swaminathan hailed GRSE as a “steadfast partner in the Navy’s quest for self-reliance,” noting its evolution from building patrol craft to stealth frigates.
GRSE is currently constructing 13 warships, nine in outfitting stages, and awaits orders for five Next Generation Corvettes.