The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kadmatt, an indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) corvette, successfully concluded a three-day port call at Surabaya, Indonesia, marking yet another significant milestone in the strengthening of bilateral naval diplomacy between India and Indonesia.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the port call was not only a routine operational engagement but also a focused effort to deepen maritime cooperation and build enduring bonds of trust and interoperability between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut – TNI AL).

During its stay, INS Kadmatt played host to a series of professional interactions and cross-deck visits designed to promote operational synergy between the two navies.

These structured exchanges enabled naval professionals from both sides to share perspectives on maritime security, anti-submarine warfare tactics, and regional challenges, thereby enhancing mutual understanding at the tactical and strategic levels.

The importance of such interactions lies in their ability to strengthen the ability of both navies to operate in tandem during joint operations, humanitarian missions, or disaster relief efforts in the Indo-Pacific region.

Cultural diplomacy formed another key component of the visit. The crew of INS Kadmatt participated in a combined yoga session onboard, underscoring shared traditions of wellness and discipline that connect India with Indonesia.

Complementing this, a friendly volleyball match was held between the Indian crew and TNI AL personnel, providing a platform for informal camaraderie and demonstrating the ability of military-to-military contact to transcend professional interactions and foster people-to-people bonding.

These cultural and sporting engagements highlighted the human dimension of naval diplomacy, an often-overlooked but vital element in building lasting trust between nations.

The outreach extended further with INS Kadmatt opening its decks to members of the Indian diaspora residing in Indonesia. This community engagement gave expatriates a rare opportunity to connect with their homeland and its naval tradition, while also strengthening the sense of shared identity.

Such initiatives highlight the Indian Navy’s role not just as a security actor, but also as a cultural and national representative abroad.

Simultaneously, senior leadership interactions were held as part of courtesy calls with high-ranking officers of the Indonesian Navy. These conversations reinforced the shared vision of both nations for a secure, stable, and rules-based maritime order in the broader Indo-Pacific.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to working together under the principle of cooperative security, recognising their converging maritime interests in combating piracy, ensuring freedom of navigation, safeguarding Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs), and responding jointly to humanitarian and disaster contingencies.

The port call by INS Kadmatt has been portrayed by the Ministry of Defence as part of India’s broader Indo-Pacific outreach under the shared vision of “Partnership Across Sea.”

This vision emphasises India’s evolving role as the preferred security partner for regional navies, while simultaneously supporting ASEAN nations in enhancing capacity-building, operational preparedness, and collective maritime domain awareness. The visit reflects India’s proactive policy in building regional naval partnerships and underscores the Indian Navy’s readiness to cooperate with friendly foreign navies for ensuring safety, stability, and prosperity across the region.

By successfully concluding its engagements at Surabaya, INS Kadmatt reaffirmed both the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy and its diplomatic role as an instrument of national soft power.

The combination of professional, cultural, and community-based interactions epitomises a holistic approach to naval engagement, ensuring that mutual trust is built not just at the institutional level, but also among the people and communities who form the foundation of India-Indonesia ties.

Based On ANI Report