The Indian Navy’s advanced Talwar-class stealth frigate, INS Tarkash, arrived at Port Victoria, Seychelles on 12 June 2026. The port call forms part of the warship’s ongoing operational deployment to the South West Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a vital maritime corridor where New Delhi consistently projects power and maintains presence to ensure open sea lines of communication. The strategic deployment further underscores India’s sustained commitment to regional maritime security, anti-piracy operations and capacity building among friendly littoral nations.
During its transit across the Indian Ocean, INS Tarkash successfully escorted the Seychelles Coast Guard Ship (SCGS) Zoroaster back to its home waters. The fast patrol vessel was returning from India following the successful completion of an extensive, high-priority refit at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) facility in Kolkata. This joint transit not only highlights the deep operational synergy between the two maritime forces but also demonstrates India’s logistical capability to support the naval assets of its strategic partners.
The procurement and subsequent maintenance of SCGS Zoroaster represents a cornerstone of bilateral defense relations. The vessel, originally built by GRSE and gifted to Seychelles by India in 2021 to bolster counter-piracy and maritime surveillance capabilities, requires specialized technical oversight to maintain operational readiness. The successful completion of the refit in Kolkata, coupled with the secure escort provided by a frontline Indian warship, marks another milestone in India’s overarching “SAGAR” (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine.
During the scheduled port call in Port Victoria, the crew of INS Tarkash will engage in structured professional exchanges, joint tactical training exercises and community relations activities alongside personnel from the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF). These engagements are specifically designed to enhance interoperability, streamline collaborative patrolling mechanisms and bolster maritime domain awareness. By continually investing in the defense infrastructure and training of island nations like Seychelles, India reinforces its role as a preferred security partner and a stabilizing force across the broader IOR.
