Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan will travel to Karnataka and Kerala on Friday, 17 October 2026, attending two high-profile engagements — the commissioning of a new Indian Navy warship and the inauguration of a major cultural festival. The visits come as India continues to accelerate its defence indigenisation agenda under the Make in India initiative.

INS Samarthak Commissioning at Karwar

The Vice President will serve as Chief Guest at the commissioning ceremony of INS Samarthak at Karwar, Karnataka, a strategically positioned naval base on the western coast. According to a Defence Ministry statement, Samarthak is a multi-purpose warship designed for maritime surveillance and patrol operations across critical sea lanes.

Notably, INS Samarthak is the first of four Multi-Purpose Vessels being inducted into the Indian Navy, built by a private company under the Centre's Make in India framework. Defence officials described the commissioning as 'another significant milestone in India's drive towards defence self-reliance,' adding that the vessel is envisioned as an ideal 'utility' ship for strategically important naval operations.

Navaratri Sargotsavam 2026 at Kozhikode

Following the naval ceremony, Radhakrishnan will travel to Kozhikode, Kerala, where he will inaugurate the Navaratri Sargotsavam 2026. The cultural programme underscores the Vice President's active role in representing national leadership at state-level heritage and festival events.

Radhakrishnan's Remarks on Ayurveda Research

A day before the Karnataka-Kerala tour, on Thursday, 16 October, the Vice President attended a conference hosted by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of KAUMARACON-2026 — the third edition of the international conference on Kaumarabhritya — he called for greater scientific research into Ayurveda to establish the efficacy of traditional healthcare practices.

'This would strengthen patient confidence and enhance the global acceptance of India's traditional systems of medicine,' Radhakrishnan said. He referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of developing the AIIA on a par with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), noting that the institute was progressing towards that goal.

AYUSH, Collaboration and India's Traditional Medicine Push

Radhakrishnan highlighted the establishment of a separate Ministry of AYUSH in 2014 and its mandate to strengthen education, expand healthcare access, and promote scientific research. He pointed to interdisciplinary collaborations between the Ministry of AYUSH and institutions including ICMR, CSIR, DBT, DST, and AIIMS as a sign of growing institutional momentum behind India's traditional medicine systems.

The Vice President's back-to-back engagements — spanning naval defence, cultural heritage, and traditional medicine — signal an active diplomatic and ceremonial schedule ahead of the festive season. The induction of INS Samarthak, in particular, will be closely watched as a marker of the Navy's expanding indigenously built fleet.