Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Western Naval Command, called on Karnataka Chief Minister Shri DK Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, on October 5, 2026. The courtesy call was his first meeting with the Chief Minister after assuming command of the Western Naval Command.
During the meeting, the FOC-in-C apprised the Chief Minister of various activities undertaken by the Indian Navy and the Western Naval Command. The discussions included the development of the Naval Base at Karwar and innovation partnerships with the defence industry and startups in Bengaluru.
The interaction provided an opportunity to brief the Karnataka Chief Minister on the activities of the Indian Navy and the Western Naval Command in the state and the initiatives associated with the maritime and defence ecosystem.
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan also met the Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister and Secretaries of various departments of the Karnataka State Government during his visit.
The discussions with senior officials of the Karnataka Government focused on avenues for augmenting civil-military liaison in the state from a naval perspective. The interaction provided a platform to discuss greater coordination between the Navy and the state administration.
The visit highlighted the interaction between the Western Naval Command and the Karnataka Government on matters related to naval activities, infrastructure development, innovation partnerships and civil-military liaison.
The briefing on the development of the Naval Base at Karwar also brought attention to the ongoing naval infrastructure activity in Karnataka. The FOC-in-C additionally highlighted innovation partnerships involving the defence industry and startups in Bengaluru.
The engagement with the Chief Minister and senior state government officials formed part of the Western Naval Command’s interaction with the Karnataka Government, with discussions covering naval activities and avenues for strengthening civil-military liaison in the state.
The visit marked Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan’s first courtesy call on the Karnataka Chief Minister after assuming command of the Western Naval Command and included engagements with both the state’s political leadership and senior government officials.
