TOMORROW, AS I TURN OVER THE COMMAND OF THE NAVY TO MY WORTHY SUCCESSOR AFTER FORTY TWO YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF THE NATION, I DO SO WITH A PROFOUND SENSE OF GRATITUDE TO EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF THIS FINE SERVICE, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, FOR YOUR WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT AT EVERY STAGE OF MY NAVAL INNINGS (.) IN THESE FOUR DECADES PLUS, A HAVE PROUDLY WITNESSED THE NAVY METAMORPHOSE FROM A FLEDGLING BROWN-WATER FORCE TO ONE WITH A FORMIDABLE BLUE WATER CAPABILITY, THAT COMMANDS RESPECT OF THE GLOBAL MARITIME COMMUNITY

2(.) THE COMING DECADE WILL BE BOTH EXCITING AND CHALLENGING (.) INDIA’S RISE TO GLOBAL PROMINENCE CAN NEVER BE ACHIEVED UNLESS THE NAVY TOO GROWS SIMULTANEOUSLY (.) FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE NAVY IS THEREFORE PRE-ORDAINED AND IN THE YEARS AHEAD, YOU WILL HAVE THE HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO BELONG TO ONE OF THE FINEST AND MOST POWERFUL MARITIME FORCES IN THE WORLD (.) THIS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY TRANSLATE INTO MANY MORE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN WHICH THE INDIAN NAVY WILL BE IN THE VAN OF MILITARY-DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS

3(.) I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE STEERED THE NAVY THROUGH A PERIOD OF HECTIC ACTIVITY AND VISIBLE ALL-ROUND DEVELOPMENT (.) OUR CAPABILITY ENHANCEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT WITH THE INDUCTION OF SEVERAL NEW PLATFORMS AND MANY MORE IMMINENT ACCRETIONS (.) THE LAUNCH OF ‘ARIHANT’ WAS THE HARBINGER OF A COMPLETELY NEW DIMENSION IN OUR OPERATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES OF THE FUTURE (.) OUR FOREIGN COOPERATION FOOTPRINT HAS WIDENED SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGH THE LAUNCH OF ‘IONS’, ANTI-PIRACY EFFORTS, OSDs, EXERCISES AND OTHER INTERACTIONS (.) WE HAVE MADE MUCH PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING A NET- CENTRIC CAPABILITY AND AUGMENTED OUR IN INFRASTRUCTURE CONSIDERABLY

4(.) COMMISSIONING OF OUR NEW NAVAL ACADEMY, OPERATIONALISATION OF THE B TECH SCHEME, RAISING INTAKE LEVELS OF SAILORS AND GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN OFFICERS HAVE BEEN SOME MAJOR STEPS TOWARDS TRANSFORMATION IN THE FIELD OF HR (.) OUR TRAINING ENVIRONMENT HAS WITNESSED MAJOR INFUSION OF TECHNOLOGY- ENABLED AIDS SUCH AS NEW GENERATION SIMULATORS AND E-LEARNING SYSTEMS (.) ACQUISITION PROCESSES ARE WELL UNDERWAY TO ADDRESS MAJOR CAPABILITY GAPS AND THESE NEED TO BE FOLLOWED UP WITH URGENCY (.) WELFARE INITIATIVES UNDER THE ‘YEAR OF THE SAILOR’ AND YEAR OF THE NAVAL FAMILY’ ALONG WITH INITIATIVES SUCH AS ‘MAP’ AND THE VI CPC AWARDS HAVE RESULTED IN ENHANCEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE AND GREATER SATISFACTION LEVELS AMONGST OUR PERSONNEL

5(.) 26/11 WAS A WATERSHED EVENT THAT EXPOSED OUR VULNERABILITY IN DEALING WITH SUB- CONVENTIONAL THREATS THAT EMANATE FROM THE SEA (.) SEVERAL SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE BUT MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE (.) THE NAVY WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO LEAD ANY MARITIME SECURITY EFFORTS AND ENTRANT VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE THAT HAVE TO PAY FOR ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OUR NATION FROM SUCH DANGERS

6(.) I AM ACUTELY CONSCIOUS THAT ALL OUR ACHIEVEMENTS ARE RESULTS OF THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF PROFESSIONALISM AND ASSIDUOUS DEDICATION OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN, BOTH SERVICE AND CIVILIAN (.) I THANK EACH ONE OF YOUR FOR STANDING FIRMLY BY MY SIDE THROUGH THICK AND THIN (.) YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND TRUST REPOSED IN ME AS YOUR CHIDE WERE INDEED MY GREATEST STRENGTHS (.) MY WIFE JOINS ME IN WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS (.) WE BID FAREWELL AND LOOK FORWARD TO REMAINING IN TOUCH WITH FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND SHIPMATES THAT WE LEAVE BEHIND

7(.) MAY THE INDIAN NAVY GROW TO BECOME THE ENVY OF EVERY OTHER MARITIME FORCE IN THE WORLD (.) SHA NO VARUNA (.) JAI HIND