Around the world in 314 days: All-women armed forces crew completes 'Samudra Pradakshina' voyage
Rajnath Singh on July 22 flagged in the 'IASV Triveni', the sailing vessel on which a 9-member all-women Tri-Services crew travelled across the globe and returned to India in 314 days
Rajnath Singh on July 22 flagged in the 'IASV Triveni', the sailing vessel on which a 9-member all-women Tri-Services crew travelled across the globe and returned to India in 314 days.
Rajnath Singh on July 22 flagged in the 'IASV Triveni', the sailing vessel on which a 9-member all-women Tri-Services crew travelled across the globe and returned to India in 314 days.
Rajnath Singh on July 22 flagged in the 'IASV Triveni', the sailing vessel on which a 9-member all-women Tri-Services crew travelled across the globe and returned to India in 314 days.
In a major victory for women in the maritime and defence sectors, a nine-member team of women from India's armed forces on Wednesday completed their 314-day voyage around the globe.
The 2025 expedition, titled 'Samudra Pradakshina', saw the all-female Tri-Services crew circumnavigate the globe—covering nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans—before returning to India.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday virtually flagged in their vessel, the IASV Triveni (MMSI: 419001980)—a year after he had flagged the Indian Army sailing vessel at the start of its journey. The 50-foot-long Class-A yacht, acquired in 2024, was built in Puducherry.
"IASV Triveni has demonstrated the importance of jointness. Capability multiplies when there is coordination ... The vessel stands as a testament to India’s engineering excellence, indigenous capability, and strategic confidence," he said at the ceremony for the ship's re-entry into India.
Singh also lauded the crew members' resolve to see the expedition to its end, highlighting it as a major victory for India's Nari Shakti and the Tri-Services.
The defence ministry said in a statement that the 314-day mission came after intensive planning, about two years of intensive training, a dedicated 24x7 shore-based support network, and the unwavering commitment from various organisations and support agencies.
It noted that Samudra Pradakshina had fulfilled all globally recognised conditions for a circumnavigation by crossing all meridians of longitude, crossing the equator twice, crossing the International Date Line, and rounding Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn, and the Cape of Good Hope—often called the three great capes.
Notably, their expedition also included the Drake Passage, also known as the Sea of Hoces: a body of water between Cape Horn in Chile and the southern Antarctica's Shetland Islands, notorious for its colossal waves, rough tide, and gale-force winds.
Their successful passage through this formidable 965km-wide passage, as well as the rounding of Cape Horn, also earned them membership of the prestigious fraternity of Cape Horners, an honour reserved for sailors who conquer one of the world’s most demanding maritime passages.