PM Modi celebrates Diwali with Naval personnel

Onboard INS Vikrant, Oct 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with Indian Navy personnel aboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on Sunday, extending festive greetings to the armed forces and reaffirming India’s march toward defence self-reliance.

Addressing sailors and officers amid the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea, the Prime Minister said the experience of spending Diwali with the Navy was “memorable and inspiring,” calling INS Vikrant a living symbol of India’s strength, technological prowess, and indomitable spirit. “On one side is the vast ocean, on the other the immense strength of the brave soldiers of Mother India,” Modi said, adding that the glow of sunlight reflecting off the sea felt like “Diwali lamps lit by our soldiers.”

He described the warship as “not just a military asset but a testimony to the hard work, skill, and commitment of 21st-century India.” The Prime Minister recalled that when INS Vikrant was commissioned, the Navy had also adopted a new ensign inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, symbolising India’s break from its colonial past.

“Our INS Vikrant is a huge symbol of self-reliant India and Made-in-India strength,” Modi said. “Cutting through the oceans, the indigenous INS Vikrant reflects India’s growing military power. Just the name Vikrant gives sleepless nights to the enemy.”

The Prime Minister saluted the armed forces for their courage and coordination during recent operations, including Operation Sindoor, which he said “forced Pakistan to surrender quickly.” Highlighting India’s defence progress, Modi said that more than 40 indigenous warships and submarines had been delivered to the Navy since 2014 and that “a new warship or submarine is being inducted every 40 days on average.”

He added that India’s defence production has tripled in the past 11 years, surpassing ?1.5 lakh crore last year, and that defence exports have risen thirty-fold in the last decade. “Our missiles like BrahMos and Akash have proven their capability in Operation Sindoor. The world now wants to buy Indian-made weapons. Our goal is to be among the top defence exporters globally,” he said.

Modi praised the Navy’s role as a “guardian of the Indian Ocean,” noting that 66% of global oil shipments and 50% of container traffic pass through the region.