Bhubaneswar, Jan. 5 -- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised the growing importance of Indian shipyards in safeguarding national interests amid an increasingly complex maritime security environment on Sunday. He made the remarks during his visit to Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), a day ahead of the commissioning of the Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) Samudra Pratap into the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on January 5, 2026.

Samudra Pratap is the first of two PCVs being constructed by GSL, underscoring India's push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Singh stressed that Aatmanirbharta in defence is a strategic necessity, not a choice, and praised GSL for strengthening indigenous design, absorbing advanced technologies and ensuring the t...