India’s sail training ship INS Sudarshini arrived in New York this week to represent the country at the United States International Naval Review 250 and the Sail4th 250 celebrations, which are part of the events marking America’s 250th Independence Day. 

The three-masted sailing ship joined tall ships from around the world in a grand Parade of Sail along the Hudson River, proudly flying the Indian tricolour as it sailed into the city. According to the Embassy of India in the United States, INS Sudarshini entered the Port of New York and New Jersey on July 4 and took part in the celebrations the same day. 

Lokayan 26: A proud display of India’s maritime heritage 

As INS Sudarshini sailed along the Hudson River, it stood out among modern naval ships and yachts with its tall wooden masts and traditional sailing rig. Its visit to New York is part of Lokayan 2026, a 10-month voyage by the Indian Navy aimed at boosting maritime cooperation and building goodwill with countries around the world.

Before reaching New York, INS Sudarshini had already visited Norfolk, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland, as part of its US tour. According to the Indian Navy, every foreign port visit is an opportunity to build trust, friendship and cooperation with partner nations.

INS Sudarshini began its voyage from Kochi nearly five months ago and has already covered more than 13,000 nautical miles. The voyage Lokayan, which comes from a Sanskrit phrase meaning “vision of the world,” is guided by the philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” the ancient Sanskrit belief that “the world is one family.” 

What is INS Sudarshini?

INS Sudarshini is one of the Indian Navy’s sail training ships. It is used to train young naval officers and cadets in traditional sailing skills, including handling square-rigged sails, celestial navigation and teamwork at sea.

Although modern navies rely on advanced warships and submarines, these traditional skills continue to form an important part of naval training. Built at Goa Shipyard, INS Sudarshini is the sister ship of INS Tarangini, another well-known Indian Navy sail training vessel. 

Over the years, both ships have represented India on long overseas voyages that combine naval training with diplomacy, visiting ports across Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.  They carry traditional design and historic appearance that often attract large crowds during international events.

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Built to sail the world 

INS Sudarshini is a 54-metre-long, three-masted sailing ship with a traditional barque rig. It carries 20 sails, uses around 7.5 kilometres of rope and 1.5 kilometres of steel wire rope, while its sails cover a total area of about 1,035 square metres.

It normally carries five officers, 31 sailors and 30 cadets during training voyages and can remain at sea for at least 20 days without returning to port. 

The ship officially joined the Indian Navy on January 27, 2012, when it was commissioned by Vice Admiral KN Sushil, then Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command. 

The Navy says the ship was built for worldwide operations and serves as both a basic seamanship training platform and a way to build leadership and character among young officers.

The first international mission 

INS Sudarshini began its first overseas deployment on September 15, 2012, with a voyage across Southeast Asia. The mission aimed to retrace the ancient sea routes once used by Indian sailors to reach ASEAN countries. 

During the nearly 12,000-mile journey, the ship visited 13 ports across nine ASEAN nations. These included Padang, Bali and Manado in Indonesia, Port Muara in Brunei, Cebu and Manila in the Philippines, Da Nang in Vietnam, Sihanoukville in Cambodia, Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, Singapore, Port Klang in Malaysia and Sittwe in Myanmar. 

It also marked a first for the Indian Navy in another way. The ship’s commanding officer, Commander N. Shyam Sundar, shared regular blogs from the voyage, making it the first time the Navy used social media to document and promote a diplomatic sailing mission. After completing the deployment, INS Sudarshini returned to Kochi on March 25, 2013.

Since leaving Kochi, INS Sudarshini has visited several countries. Its first stops were Salalah, Oman, and Safaga, Egypt, in February 2026. The ship sailed 1,832 nautical miles through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in just 16 days before passing through the Suez Canal.

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It then reached Valletta, Malta, in March before sailing to Sète, France, for the Escale à Sète maritime festival.

After leaving France, INS Sudarshini visited Casablanca in Morocco. The next stop was Mindelo, Cape Verde. The ship then spent 19 days crossing the Atlantic Ocean before reaching Antigua on May 27, 2026.

This was the first trans-Atlantic voyage in INS Sudarshini’s history. The last Indian Navy sailing ship to make such a crossing was its sister vessel, INS Tarangini.