Shattered stereotypes: Rajnath honours all-women tri-service sailing team

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh felicitated nine women officers who completed the first-ever tri-service all-women global circumnavigation sailing expedition, praising their 314-day voyage as a symbol of Nari Shakti, military jointness and resilience that challenged gender stereotypes

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday felicitated the nine women officers of the armed forces, who have successfully completed the first-ever tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition, and said their feat has “shattered stereotypes” that women could not accomplish arduous military missions.

“You have proven that physical capability, mental toughness, and leadership qualities are not bound by a gender. Every daughter in India can look at you and believe that she, too, can cross oceans and conquer the world,” he told the women officers.

---

Singh felicitated the nine officers of the three Services, who have returned home after successfully completing the sailing expedition ‘Samudra Pradakshina’ onboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni. The minister praised the team’s courage and determination in successfully completing the 314-day voyage covering nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans.

He described the expedition as a testament to ‘Nari Shakti’ and an outstanding example of tri-service jointness and synergy that will inspire every Indian.

Describing the women officers’ capabilities and confidence as “incredible”, Singh asserted that the successful completion of ‘Samudra Pradakshina’ “shattered the stereotypes that claimed that women cannot accomplish arduous military missions”.

Noting that officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force sailed together on the same vessel under the same flag in pursuit of a shared mission, he said the expedition is a “testament to the fact that no horizon is too vast to conquer if we move forward together”.

On July 22, Singh, via video conferencing, had delivered an address to mark the flag-in of the expedition and hailed its successful completion. He had described IASV Triveni as a “sailing ambassador” of India’s maritime diplomacy.

The challenging voyage covering nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans and some of the most dangerous waters on the planet, including the Drake Passage, tested human resilience against nature’s toughest challenges. Singh had virtually flagged off IASV Triveni, which had set off on the landmark expedition from the historic Gateway of India in Mumbai on September 11, 2025.

The women officers shared their experiences with Singh, highlighting that the expedition’s demanding nature made the voyage both “memorable and rewarding”. They said that their unwavering commitment to making the nation proud kept them motivated, enabling them to overcome immense physical and mental challenges, the defence ministry said.

Singh said their dedication had inspired him and reinforced his own resolve. He added that their achievement demonstrates how firm conviction and determination can help one accomplish any goal in life.

He commended the team for showcasing India’s engineering excellence, indigenous capabilities and technological advancements to the countries they visited, stating that “you conveyed a message to the world that India is second to none in any field.”

Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Dhiraj Seth, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar and other senior officers of three Services were also present during the interaction.