In a historic first, the Indian Navy’s sail training vessel INS Sudarshini arrived at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands on Thursday (April 23, 2026), marking the maiden visit by an Indian naval ship to the archipelago, even as INS Kalpeni made a port call at Addu Atoll as part of its ongoing operational deployment in the region.
INS Sudarshini’s visit to Spain is part of its ongoing Lokayan 26 transoceanic deployment and comes ahead of its planned trans-Atlantic passage, according to a statement by the Indian Navy.
“During the visit, the Commanding Officer of INS Sudarshini is scheduled to hold professional interactions with Spanish Naval authorities,” the Indian Navy said.
“Strengthening people-to-people ties, the ship will also be open to visitors for the local Spanish community and the Indian diaspora,” it added.
INS Sudarshini left Kochi in January 2026 and has since stopped at ports in Oman, Egypt, Malta, France, and Morocco as part of its global voyage themed around ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, meaning that the world is one family.
The visit is part of the naval diplomacy that the Indian Navy undertakes by visits to other countries for exercises, goodwill port calls, and maritime partnership engagements in support of India’s foreign policy objectives.
The vessel will then cross the trans-Atlantic passage and take part in Sail 250 commemorative events at ports across the United States, marking the 250th Independence Day celebrations, the Navy said.
INS Kalpeni boosts India–Maldives naval ties
Meanwhile, another Indian Navy vessel, INS Kalpeni made a port call at Addu Atoll as part of its ongoing deployment in the region.
According to a post shared by the High Commission of India in the Maldives, “The visit underscores deep-rooted friendly ties and multi-faceted defence cooperation between India and Maldives.”
The ship’s visit to the Maldives comes at a time of renewed bilateral ties between India and the Maldives, aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation and reinforcing India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
The Maldives holds a strategic position in the Indian Ocean Region, sitting astride key international shipping lanes that connect the Gulf, Africa, and Asia. This makes the archipelagic country vital to India’s maritime security interests.
The Indian Navy has consistently been the first responder during crises in the Maldives, whether it was airlifting emergency drinking water during the 2004 tsunami, responding to the Male water crisis in 2014, or conducting medical evacuations, exemplifying India’s role as a net security provider in the region.