In an age where strategic signalling often relies on aircraft carriers and warships, the Indian Navy chose a quieter — yet profoundly powerful — instrument. Navika Sagar Parikrama II (NSP II), completed in May 2025, blended adventure, operational competence, gender inclusion, and maritime diplomacy into a single, elegant mission. With just two officers and one sailing vessel, India projected confidence across the world’s oceans.
A voyage that redefined scale and ambition
Under NSP II, Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A undertook a full circumnavigation of the globe aboard INSV Tarini. The mission lasted eight months, covered over 25,500 nautical miles, and concluded with their return to India on 29 May 2025.
Strategic port calls at Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falkland Islands), and Cape Town (South Africa) ensured that the journey was not merely nautical, but diplomatic — embedding India’s presence across the Indo-Pacific, Southern Ocean, South Atlantic, and African littorals.
Building on a historic legacy
The name Navika Sagar Parikrama carries deep symbolism. “Navika” means woman sailor, while “Sagar Parikrama” denotes a complete oceanic circumnavigation. The first all-women circumnavigation by the Indian Navy in 2017–18 marked a watershed moment.
NSP II raised the bar significantly. Unlike the earlier expedition, this mission was executed with only two officers — increasing operational risk, decision-making load, and physical strain. It was a deliberate test of endurance, autonomy, and professional mastery.
Extreme seas and human limits
Departing from Goa, the officers encountered some of the most hostile waters known to maritime history. Their route involved crossing the equator twice, navigating through Point Nemo — the most remote location on Earth — and rounding three formidable capes: Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn, and the Cape of Good Hope.
Towering waves, volatile weather systems, mechanical contingencies, and prolonged isolation defined daily life aboard Tarini. The voyage demanded not just technical seamanship, but constant psychological resilience — reinforcing the Indian Navy’s emphasis on decision-making under pressure.
Women at the core of operational excellence
At its heart, NSP II stands as a powerful assertion of women’s growing role in India’s armed forces. The mission decisively dispelled residual doubts about women operating independently in high-risk, high-responsibility environments.
Both officers are seasoned professionals trained in navigation, meteorology, marine engineering, damage control, and survival at sea. Their selection was not symbolic — it reflected institutional confidence. In doing so, the Navy translated gender inclusion from policy intent into operational reality.
For young women across India, especially those aspiring to careers in uniformed services and maritime professions, NSP II became a living demonstration that leadership and competence are not gendered attributes.
Maritime diplomacy through sails, not coercion
Each port call functioned as a node of diplomatic engagement. In Fremantle, interactions with the Western Australia Parliament, HMAS Stirling, sailing clubs, and diaspora groups highlighted the depth of India–Australia maritime ties.
In Lyttelton, New Zealand, engagements with diplomats, universities, and students underscored India’s outreach to the South Pacific through education, research, and shared maritime interests.
Port Stanley offered a distinctive dimension. Meetings with the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, the Deputy Governor, and Royal Navy officials reinforced India’s support for peaceful maritime cooperation even in remote and sensitive regions.
Cape Town, the final international halt, symbolised India’s historical and contemporary maritime linkages with Africa — a region of growing strategic importance for India’s blue-water ambitions.
Environmental stewardship on the high seas
Beyond diplomacy and symbolism, NSP II quietly contributed to ocean science. Throughout the voyage, the officers documented marine biodiversity, monitored plastic pollution, and collected water samples across diverse oceanic regions.
These samples now form part of research initiatives at the National Institute of Oceanography, strengthening India’s understanding of ocean health and climate dynamics. By traversing fragile zones such as the Southern Ocean, the mission reinforced the link between maritime security and environmental security.
A calibrated signal of India’s maritime vision
The ceremonial reception of INSV Tarini on 29 May 2025 — attended by the Defence Minister and the Chief of the Naval Staff — marked formal recognition of an extraordinary achievement. Yet the mission’s significance runs deeper.
Navika Sagar Parikrama II reflects a confident India: inclusive in its institutions, assured in its maritime reach, and responsible in its global conduct. It showed how naval power can be projected without intimidation — through competence, goodwill, and quiet determination.
What to note for Prelims?
- Navika Sagar Parikrama II and INSV Tarini
- Role of women in the Indian Navy
- Maritime diplomacy and soft power
- Point Nemo and major oceanic capes
What to note for Mains?
- Discuss how Navika Sagar Parikrama II reflects India’s evolving maritime strategy.
- Examine the role of gender inclusion in enhancing operational effectiveness of armed forces.
- Analyse maritime diplomacy as an instrument of India’s foreign policy.
- Evaluate the linkage between maritime security and environmental stewardship.
