**Executive Summary**
The Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya embarked on her maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar, Gujarat to Muscat, Sultanate of Oman on December 29, 2025. This historic expedition aims to revive and celebrate India's ancient maritime heritage and enhance bilateral relations between India and Oman. The voyage retraces ancient maritime routes and is a testament to India's civilisational maritime outlook and its role in the Indian Ocean Region.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Voyage Details:**
* INSV Kaundinya sailed from Porbandar, Gujarat to Muscat, Oman on December 29, 2025.
* The voyage retraces ancient maritime routes connecting the western coast of India with Oman.
* The vessel was formally flagged off by VAdm Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, and His Excellency Issa Saleh Al Shibani, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to India.
* **Vessel Construction and Purpose:**
* INSV Kaundinya is an indigenously built traditional stitched sailing vessel.
* Construction employed traditional shipbuilding techniques and natural materials.
* The vessel represents India's rich legacy of indigenous shipbuilding and seamanship.
* **Expedition Objectives:**
* Revive, understand, and celebrate India's ancient maritime heritage.
* Enhance bilateral relations between India and Oman.
* Reinforce shared maritime heritage and strengthen cultural ties.
* Underscore India's commitment to maritime diplomacy and regional cooperation.
* **Crew:**
* Commander Vikas Sheoran will skipper the vessel.
* Commander Y Hemant Kumar will serve as the Officer-in-Charge.
* The crew comprises four officers and thirteen naval sailors.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Navy**
* **Impact:** The expedition underscores the Indian Navy's commitment to maritime diplomacy, heritage preservation, and regional cooperation.
* **Action Required:** Successfully execute the voyage and ensure the vessel's safe arrival in Muscat.
**India-Oman Relations**
* **Impact:** The expedition is expected to significantly enhance bilateral relations by reinforcing shared maritime heritage and strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties.
* **Action Required:** Continue to foster and strengthen diplomatic and cultural ties with Oman.
**Gujarat and Oman**
* **Impact:** The voyage highlights the deep historical connections between Gujarat and Oman, reflecting a legacy of cooperation.
* **Action Required:** Recognise and promote historical connections between Gujarat and Oman.
Key Entities Referenced
INSV Kaundinya: Indian Naval Sailing Vessel involved in an expedition to revive India-Oman maritime heritage.
India: Country involved in efforts to revive maritime heritage.
Oman: Country involved in a joint maritime heritage initiative with India.
Ministry of Defence: The ministry overseeing the Indian Navy and related expeditions.
Ministry of Defence
INSV KAUNDINYA EMBARKS ON HER MAIDEN
VOYAGE
Historic sail reviving India – Oman maritime heritage
प्रव तथ: 29 DEC 2025 7:56PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Kaundinya, the Indian Navy’s indigenously built traditional stitched sailing
vessel, sailed on her maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar, Gujarat to Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
on 29 Dec 2025. This historic expedition marks a major milestone in India’s efforts to revive, understand,
and celebrate its ancient maritime heritage through a living ocean voyage.
The vessel was formally flagged off by VAdm Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-
Chief, Western Naval Command, in the august presence of His Excellency Issa Saleh Al Shibani,
Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to India, along with senior officers of the Indian Navy and
distinguished guests.
INSV Kaundinya has been constructed using traditional stitched shipbuilding techniques, employing
natural materials and methods that date back several centuries. Inspired by historical sources and
iconographic evidence, the vessel represents India’s rich legacy of indigenous shipbuilding, seamanship,
and oceanic navigation. The voyage retraces ancient maritime routes that once connected the western
coast of India with Oman, facilitating trade, cultural exchange and sustained civilisational interactions
across the Indian Ocean.
The expedition is expected to significantly enhance bilateral relations between India and Oman by
reinforcing shared maritime heritage and strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties. The arrival of
INSV Kaundinya in Muscat will serve as a powerful symbol of the enduring bonds of friendship, mutual
trust, and respect that have linked the two maritime nations for centuries. The voyage also highlights the
deep historical connections between Gujarat and Oman, reflecting a legacy of cooperation that continues
to the present day.
Through this expedition, the Indian Navy underscores its commitment to maritime diplomacy, heritage
preservation and regional cooperation. INSV Kaundinya’s voyage stands as a testament to India’s
civilisational maritime outlook and its role as a responsible and culturally rooted maritime nation in the
Indian Ocean Region.
Commander Vikas Sheoran will skipper the vessel, while Commander Y Hemant Kumar, who has been
associated with the project since its conceptualisation, will serve as the Officer-in-Charge of the
expedition. The crew comprises four officers and thirteen naval sailors.****
VM/SPS 281/25
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2209572) आगंतुक पटल : 1826
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