"It gives me immense pleasure to be present amongst all of you on the occasion of commissioning of state-of-the-art Coast Guard Ship, 'Vigraha' today," Singh said as quoted by his office on Twitter, adding that the vessel is 100 meters (328 feet) long and equipped with the latest technologies.
The minister went on to praise the strides that had been made by the Indian Coast guard on the international level, citing its handling of coastal security, maritime crises and disasters.
"The Journey of growth of our [Indian Coast Guard], which began with a modest 5-7 small boats, has today grown to over 20,000 active personnel, over 150 vessels, and a fleet of over 65 aircrafts," the minister said.
India established its coast guard service in 1977, 30 years after achieving independence from the United Kingdom. Earlier in the month, the country celebrated its 75th Independence Day.