The INS Sagardhwani, an oceanographic research vessel owned by the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) under the DRDO, embarked on a two-month-long Sagar Maitri (SM) Mission-4 from South Jetty, Southern Naval Command (SNC), Kochi. 

• The Sagar Maitri initiative by DRDO aims to foster closer cooperation in socio-economic aspects and enhance scientific interactions, particularly in the field of ocean research, among Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries.
• Under this initiative, DRDO introduced ‘MAITRI,’ which stands for ‘Marine and Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative.’
• This initiative focuses on establishing long-term collaborations with IOR countries in the domain of ‘Ocean Research and Development,’ as stated by the Defence Ministry in an official statement.

A Historic Voyage

In the Sagar Maitri program, INS Sagardhwani will retrace the footsteps of INS Kistna, which participated in the International Indian Ocean Expedition during 1962-65. The mission’s goal is to establish enduring scientific partnerships and collaborations with eight IOR countries, including Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Myanmar.