Indian Navy Day 2025 – December 2025

Indian Navy Day is celebrated every year on December 4th throughout India to honor the contributions and accomplishments of the Indian Navy (IN) in safeguarding the country.

• This day also marks the anniversary of Operation Trident, a successful offensive mission carried out by the IN during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

Theme:

2025 Theme: “Combat Ready, Cohesive, Credible, and Aatmanirbhar Force”
Focus: The theme underscores combat readiness, enhanced coordination among the armed forces, and the promotion of indigenous technology.

Background: 

Origins: On May 1, 1830, the East India Company came under British control, was granted combatant status, and became the IN, later renamed “Her Majesty’s Indian Navy” in 1858.
First Celebration: Indian Navy Day was initially celebrated on October 21, 1944.
Date Revision: Since 1972, Indian Navy Day has been observed on December 4 to honor the IN’s successful 1971 operations and the sacrifices of its martyrs.

• Originally celebrated on December 15 alongside Navy Week, the date was shifted to December 4, with Indian Navy Week now observed from December 1 to 7.

About Operation Trident:

Mission: During the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, the IN launched a counter-attack on Karachi Harbour (Pakistan).
Milestone: This operation marked India’s first use of anti-ship missiles, resulting in the destruction of the Pakistani destroyer Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Khaibar.
Warships: The attack involved three Indian Naval ships (INS) Nipat, INS Nirghat, and INS Veer, which were crucial to the operation.
Awards: The operation earned several gallantry awards, including the Maha Vir Chakra for Commander (later Commodore) BB Yadav, the operation’s commandant.

2025 Event: 

Event: On 3rd December 2025, the IN conducted the Navy Day 2025 Operational Demonstration (Op Demo 2025) at Shangumugham Beach, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, hosted by Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).

Participants: President Droupadi Murmu, Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, attended the event as Chief Guest, alongside Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Governor of Kerala; Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister(CM) of Kerala and other dignitaries.

Operational Demonstration 2025:

Objective: To demonstrate the operational readiness, maritime capability, and indigenous strength of the IN.
Operational Display: The demonstration featured 19 major warships, 32 aircraft, and a submarine showcasing underwater capability, along with high-speed aerial manoeuvres, combat free-fall, slithering operations, coordinated land-sea integration, and precision firing by naval platforms.
Cultural & Ceremonial: It featured a Beating Retreat by the Southern Naval Command band, continuity and Hornpipe Drill performances by the Sea Cadet Corps, and concluded with a spectacular fireworks display.
Maritime Vision: The event underscored India’s maritime role under the MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) initiative while showcasing indigenous platforms that reflect the nation’s Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) vision.
Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025:

Release: Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, CNS released the updated Indian Maritime Doctrine on 2nd December 2025.
Editions: First released in 2004, revised in 2009, and amended in 2015.
Integrated Focus: The doctrine formally defines the “no-war, no-peace” operational spectrum, addresses grey-zone challenges such as hybrid and sub-threshold threats, and emphasises multi-domain operations supported by emerging technologies, autonomous systems, and uncrewed platforms.
National Alignment: Integrated with Viksit Bharat 2047, Sagarmala, Pradhan Mandri (PM) Gati Shakti National Master Plan, Maritime India Vision 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).

About Indian Navy (IN):
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Established-1950
Motto – “Sam no Varunah”