Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept up his annual tradition of celebrating Diwali with the Indian armed forces and spent the festival of lights with the Navy personnel onboard INS Vikrant off the coast of Goa and Karwar (Karnataka) on Monday.
Addressing hundreds of “brave” Navy personnel, he said he was “fortunate that he is celebrating the holy festival with them”.
“Today is an amazing day. This scene is memorable. Today, on one side, I have the ocean, and on the other, I have the strength of the brave soldiers of Mother India,” PM Modi told them.
Celebrating Diwali with our brave Navy personnel on board the INS Vikrant. https://t.co/5J9XNHwznH
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 20, 2025
“Today, on one side I have infinite horizons and infinite sky, and on the other side I have this giant, INS Vikrant, embodying infinite powers. The glow of the sun’s rays on the ocean’s waters is like the Diwali lamps lit by brave soldiers,” he added.
PM Modi said the INS Vikrant, which is India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, reflects the capability of India’s armed forces.
“It brought Pakistan to its knees within days during Operation Sindoor,” he said.
On May 7, Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor in response to a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22 and executed coordinated strikes targeting multiple terror infrastructure sites across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan.
PM Modi said that “extraordinary coordination” among the three services together compelled Pakistan to surrender during Operation Sindoor.
INS Vikrant is not just a warship but is also a “testimony to 21st-century India’s hard work, talent, impact, and commitment”, PM Modi said.
“The night spent yesterday on INS Vikrant is hard to put into words. I saw the immense energy and enthusiasm you all were filled with. When I saw you singing patriotic songs yesterday and the way you described Operation Sindoor in your songs, no words can ever fully convey the experience that a jawan feels standing on a battlefield,” he said.
“My Diwali has been special, as it was spent amongst you,” he said.