President Murmu waving at a warship as she sails past an assembled fleet of anchored Indian and international warships during her fleet review. (Photo: MoD)
New Delhi: The president of India, Droupadi Murmu, presided over the International Fleet Review 2026 on Tuesday. She sailed past an assembled fleet of 52 anchored warships aboard INS Sumedha, an indigenously built offshore patrol vessel that served as the presidential yacht for the occasion.
The ship flew the president’s standard and displayed the national emblem for the event.
Murmu, who also holds the constitutional position of supreme commander of the armed forces, was received with a ceremonial guard of honour by a 150-person contingent and a 21-gun salute before embarking on the vessel.
In all, 85 ships participated in the review, including 19 foreign warships, making it one of the larger multilateral naval gatherings India has hosted. The Indian contingent comprised 60 Indian Navy ships, four Indian Coast Guard vessels, and one ship each from the Shipping Corporation of India and the National Institute of Ocean Technology.
Three Navy submarines also took part. More than 60 aircraft participated, along with a French Atlantique maritime patrol aircraft, which underscored the event’s multi-domain character.
The review included a fly-past by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft representing the Indian Naval Air Arm, followed by a mobile column of warships and submarines passing the presidential yacht. Waterfront demonstrations covered search and rescue operations, a parade of sails, and aerial manoeuvres by Hawk aircraft.
Addressing the gathering, Murmu said the participation of so many countries illustrated that oceans connect rather than divide nations. “India’s approach to international relations, including the maritime domain, is guided by our ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – the world is one family,” she said, adding that global security and stability are built through friendship, not rivalry.
She also linked the event to India’s broader regional framework, MAHASAGAR – an acronym for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions – a concept that New Delhi has been advancing as part of its Indian Ocean outreach strategy, particularly toward smaller island nations and littoral states.
The event was broadcast live on Doordarshan’s DD National and DD Vijayawada channels and streamed on the Navy’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
The International Fleet Review, held periodically by India, is intended to signal both naval capability and diplomatic intent. The 2026 edition’s theme, “United Through Oceans”, reflected New Delhi’s current emphasis on multilateral maritime cooperation amid growing strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, where China’s expanding naval presence has prompted closer engagement among India, the United States, Japan, and Australia through forums such as the Quad.
