The Southern Naval Command on Monday celebrated the 77th Republic Day with a ceremonial parade at INS Venduruthy here.

On the occasion, Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, AVSM, NM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, paid homage to bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation by laying a wreath at the Southern Naval Command War Memorial.

He later reviewed the ceremonial parade.

The parade, commanded by Commander Deepak Suhag, saw the participation of more than 850 personnel, including two platoons of the Sea Cadets Corps and one of the National Cadet Corps.

Ships berthed in the harbour were dressed overall with ceremonial flags to mark the occasion.

Addressing the parade, Vice Admiral Saxena complimented the personnel for their drill and conveyed Republic Day greetings to naval personnel and their families.

He underscored the enduring significance of the Constitution of India, stating that the Armed Forces remain both beneficiaries of constitutional freedoms and protectors of the Republic’s integrity.

Reviewing the past year, he said India had demonstrated growing confidence across diplomacy, technology, space, digital innovation, infrastructure and national security, adding that the vision of Viksit Bharat was increasingly reflected in tangible outcomes, enhanced capabilities and global credibility.

He said maritime security had emerged as a key pillar of India's strategic outlook, with the Indian Navy continuing to act as a reliable and credible force contributing to stability in the Indian Ocean Region.

Highlighting a major strategic shift, he said the Indian Navy had transformed from a buyer’s Navy to a builder’s Navy under the Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat vision.

Over the past year, 12 ships were commissioned, with warships inducted at an accelerated pace, underscoring India's growing shipbuilding capability and self-reliance in combat capability, he said

He said the Navy's operational credibility was tested during Operation Sindoor, in which it played a decisive role through joint and integrated operations, asserting maritime dominance and validating India’s multi-domain warfighting capability.

As the Navy’s Training Command, the Southern Naval Command continued to fulfil its mandate of training combat-ready, cohesive and future-ready personnel.

Reaffirming the Command's focus on combat-oriented training, operational readiness, safety and security, strengthening of the divisional system, ethics, physical fitness and moral resilience, he urged all personnel to train harder, think sharper and lead better to remain combat-ready whenever the nation calls.