INS Sudarshini Concludes Port Call at Antigua

📌 Summary:

• Indian Navy sail-training ship INS Sudarshini concluded a four-day port call at Antigua on 31 May 2026 as part of the ongoing Lokayan-26 expedition — India's maritime outreach to Caribbean nations
• During the visit, the ship hosted H.E. Mr Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Commanding Officer called on Brigadier Telbert Benjamin, Chief of Defence Staff of Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF)
• Professional exchanges strengthened linkages between the two maritime forces; ship opened to the public to showcase the Indian Navy's sail-training heritage
• Visit aligned with the MAHASAGAR vision and Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam ethos — projecting India's maritime diplomacy in the broader Atlantic-Caribbean arc beyond the Indian Ocean
• Ship now sails to the United States to participate in the International Naval Review and SAIL 250 celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — Internal Security — Maritime security and naval power projection; GS2 — IR — India's outreach to Caribbean/Atlantic small states under MAHASAGAR doctrine.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• INS Sudarshini is a sail-training ship of the Indian Navy
• "Lokayan-26" is the current overseas deployment expedition
• MAHASAGAR = "Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security And Growth Across Regions" — India's expanded maritime doctrine, successor framing to SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)
• SAIL 250 marks the 250th anniversary of American Independence (4 July 2026)
• Antigua and Barbuda is a Caribbean island nation in CARICOM; capital is St. John's
• Indian Navy sail-training vessels: INS Tarangini, INS Sudarshini, INSV Mhadei, INSV Tarini

🔑 Key Term: MAHASAGAR — India's expanded maritime vision unveiled by PM Modi in March 2025, succeeding SAGAR. It emphasises "Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions", widening the Indian Ocean focus to a global maritime partnership template covering the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific theatres.