International Fleet review a big opportunity for India: Modi

Looking ahead to the biggest naval event hosted by India in the port city of Visakhapatnam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined that it’s a big opportunity for the country.

It is a matter of pride that India is hosting a big event in the first week of February. The whole world is coming as a guest, and our navy is preparing for it,” Mr Modi said in his radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

Mr Modi emphasised that warships and naval ships of several countries were assembling off Visakhapatnam for the review. The IFR 2016 will be held in Visakhapatnam from February 4 -8. It is expected that more than 90 ships, 24 of them foreign, will participate in the event. The main aim of the event is to showcase the growing capabilities of the Indian Navy.

“This is an attempt to establish a consonance between our military power and the military powers of the world. This is a joint exercise… a big opportunity,” Mr Modi said.

Speaking about India’s rich maritime history, Mr Modi asked the people to support the programme. “Land boundaries divide us, but the water, the ocean, unites us,” he said.

The International Fleet Review, one of the biggest events of its kind, is being held in India after 15 years.

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