Margao: President Droupadi Murmu embarked on a historic submarine voyage from Karwar harbour on Sunday, becoming only the second Indian head of state to undertake such a journey. The first instance occurred in Feb 2006, when former President A P J Abdul Kalam sailed aboard a submarine from Visakhapatnam.The submarine embarkation formed a significant part of Murmu’s visit to Goa, which commenced with a guard of honour, including an Army contingent from the Signal Training Centre, Goa. Defence officials stated that the submarine journey “forms part of the President’s broader objective of gaining first-hand insight into India’s evolving maritime, undersea and strategic defence capabilities, reinforcing her close association with the Indian Armed Forces”.President Murmu consistently set notable precedents in her engagement with India’s defence forces. She became the first Indian President to fly in two frontline fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force—the Sukhoi Su-30MKI in 2023 and the Rafale fighter jet in Oct 2025. Defence officials said that these experiences reflect her hands-on approach to understanding the operational capabilities and challenges faced by the armed forces.Officials further said that the visit “reaffirms the nation’s commitment to strengthening defence preparedness across all domains—air, sea and undersea—and stands as a testament to the Armed Forces’ unwavering dedication to safeguarding national security.”Murmu is on a visit to Goa, Karnataka and Jharkhand from Dec 27-30. On Monday, she “will grace the centenary celebrations of Ol Chiki at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. She will also address the 15th convocation ceremony of NIT, Jamshedpur,” as per a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement. On Dec 30, the President will address an ‘Antarrajyiy Jansanskritik Samagam Samaroh – Kartik Jatra’ at Gumla in Jharkhand.
