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The maiden voyage of Indian Navy’s accepted stitched sail vas Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya from Porbandar to Muscat was highlighted astatine a United Nations (UN) event, with speakers stressing centuries-old maritime traditions and practice astatine a clip of tensions affecting planetary shipping routes.
The Permanent Mission of India to the UN and the Oman Mission to the UN co-organised the lawsuit titled ‘Ancient Trade Routes: The Journey of INSV Kaundinya’ astatine the UN office connected Friday (May 15, 2026).
Indian Navy Commodore Amit Srivastava, Commander Vikas Sheoran who skippered the vessel, and Expedition Officer Commander Y. Hemant Kumar attended and addressed the event.
“This is an important occasion. We are having a regular treatment astir a definite benignant of a maritime situation that is impacting us, our nations and our citizens, yet we besides person centuries-old maritime traditions of peaceful commercialized and commerce, exchanges that person survived centuries,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish said successful his remarks.
Though helium did not notation it directly, Ambassador Harish's remarks appeared to notation to concerns implicit disruptions astir the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing struggle successful West Asia. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s vigor supplies walk done the constrictive waterway.
INSV Kaundinya, the Indian Navy’s indigenously built accepted stitched sailing vessel, sailed connected its maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar successful Gujarat to Muscat successful Oman connected December 29, 2025.
The Permanent Mission of India to the UN said the voyages of INSV Kaundinya, a stitched-plank sailing vas inspired by past Indian shipbuilding traditions, item India’s past maritime commercialized routes crossed the Indian Ocean connecting India with the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.
“These past commercialized routes item the longstanding relation of India and Oman arsenic liable maritime civilizations,” it said.
Underlining that India and Oman stock a maritime narration that goes backmost centuries, Mr. Harish said the lawsuit highlighted that “oceans link america similar they ever have.” He added, “At a clip erstwhile the satellite is debating however to negociate and support shared water spaces, it's worthy remembering that the peoples of our portion were already doing truthful done trade, done trust, and done regular exchanges and interaction agelong earlier modern planetary instrumentality and the instrumentality of the oversea really came into being.”
Mr. Harish further said the UN Convention connected the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides a ineligible model for governing the world’s oceans today, “but frameworks enactment champion erstwhile they are grounded successful a genuine consciousness of shared intent and successful trust.”
“Events similar this 1 assistance physique that consciousness of purpose. They punctual america that the oversea is simply a communal space, 1 that belongs to each of america and indispensable beryllium protected by each of us,” helium added. The sailors of INSV Kaundinya shared details of the caller expedition retracing past Indian Ocean commercialized routes with UN envoys, officials and dignitaries.
Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations Omar Said Omar Alkathiri said that done the “remarkable voyage of INSV Kaundinya, we are reminded of the deep-rooted and cherished narration betwixt our nations, 1 that has flourished successful the bosom of the Indian Ocean for centuries.” He said, “Our maritime past offers invaluable lessons for contiguous and aboriginal water governance. The tone of practice that defined Oman and India's narration inspires america to collaborate and attack managing marine resources and safeguarding biodiversity.”
Mr. Alkathiri said the vessel's accomplishment successful Oman's waters was met with warmth and admiration, “serving arsenic a reminder of our shared history” and providing a instauration for renewed cooperation. “The voyage underscored the value of taste speech and fostering trust, innovation and resilience,” helium said.
“It invites america to honour the bequest of those who came earlier america by moving unneurotic to support the water for those who volition follow,” Mr. Alkathiri said.
