3 months ago
1
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), established connected February 1, 1977, with conscionable 7 aboveground platforms, has evolved into a "formidable maritime force" comprising 155 ships and 80 aircraft, officials said connected Saturday (January 31, 2026). The ICG volition observe its 50th Raising Day with an lawsuit successful New Delhi connected Sunday (February 1, 2026), marking 5 decades of dedicated, selfless work to the nation, they said.
The ICG was envisioned to code emerging maritime challenges and safeguard India's expanding marine interests.
"From its humble beginnings successful 1977 with conscionable 7 aboveground platforms, the ICG has evolved into a formidable maritime unit comprising 155 ships and 80 craft today," the ICG said.
By 2030, the ICG is "poised to execute its people unit levels of 200 aboveground platforms and 100 aircraft, firmly establishing itself among the world's premier seashore defender services," it said.
Since its inception, the organisation has "rescued implicit 11,800 lives", forging a bequest defined by compassion and courage, earning designation arsenic the enduring 'Saviours astatine Sea', a elder ICG authoritative said.
Headquartered successful Delhi, the unit maintains vigil implicit 20.1 lakh sq. km of India's Exclusive Economic Zone and 11,098.01 km of coastline, the ICG said successful a statement.
From humble origins, it has grown into a powerful, versatile, and highly respected unit entrusted with maritime instrumentality enforcement, coastal security, hunt and rescue, marine biology protection, and humanitarian aid, officials said.
From adjacent coordination with the Indian Navy during Operation Sindoor to daring rescue operations successful Lakshadweep and the steadfast handling of 3 large maritime incidents disconnected the Kerala seashore successful caller months, the ICG has demonstrated preparedness crossed the afloat spectrum of maritime contingencies, they said.
With extended deployment of ships and aircraft, coupled with high-tech physics surveillance, the Coast Guard's persistent beingness astatine oversea reassures the maritime assemblage and deters transgressions, they added.
Aligned with the imaginativeness of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make successful India', the ICG is steadily moving towards self-reliance done the induction of indigenously-built ships, aircraft, helicopters, and precocious surveillance systems, portion simultaneously prioritising infrastructure improvement and unit welfare, the connection said.
The ICG said it besides "remains firmly committed to sex neutrality and inclusivity, ensuring adjacent opportunities for women crossed seagoing, aviation, and shore-based roles, and fostering a nonrecreational situation defined by respect, merit, and communal trust".
Guided by the Prime Minister's imaginativeness of 'Amrit Kaal’ and anchored successful the doctrines of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All successful the Region) and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), the ICG forms a cardinal pillar of India's maritime resurgence, promoting security, growth, cooperation, and corporate prosperity crossed the oceans, it said.
In this evolving era, India's seas are not simply frontiers to beryllium guarded, but "pathways of partnership, progress, and shared destiny", the ICG added.
On the planetary stage, the ICG strengthens maritime partnerships done humanitarian assistance and catastrophe alleviation missions and capacity-building initiatives, the unit said, adding that the unanimous determination to manus implicit presidency of 50th Coast Guard Global Summit to ICG successful 2025 stands arsenic a designation of India's increasing maritime leadership.
Ahead of the 50th Raising Day, the President of India, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, and the Defence Minister person extended their regards to each ranks of the ICG, commending its singular achievements and acknowledging its captious relation successful safeguarding India’s maritime interests, it said.
In a station connected X connected Friday, the ICG said successful the run-up to its Raising Day, the territory office of the unit successful Lakshadweep organised a vibrant bid of outreach and assemblage engagement events astatine Kavaratti, Andrott and Minicoy.
Activities included painting, quiz competitions, a walkathon, a peculiar coastal clean-up drive, schoolhouse children’s visits to ICG ships, assemblage enactment programmes, a rhythm rally, and a histrion plantation drive.
“The initiatives witnessed enthusiastic information from the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, CRPF, IRBN, civilian organisations, schools, fishermen communities and representatives of the Union territory administration, reinforcing corporate committedness towards maritime safety, biology stewardship and assemblage connect,” the ICG said.
