Indian Coast Guard ship Kanaklata Baruah was formally commissioned on Wednesday in Kolkata via video conferencing.

It is the last in the series of five Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) of the Indian Coast Guarda and was designed and built indigenously by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata.

The ship was commissioned by Additional Secretary Ministry of Defence Jiwesh Nandan through video conferencing.

The ship is about 49m long and displaces 319 tons. It is propelled by three MTU 4,000 series engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 35 knots and is designed to carry one Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) high speed boats and one Gemini boat for swift boarding and Search and Rescue operations.

"Indian Coast Guard being largest in South-Asian region deals with the dynamic situation and is vital in protecting wide-ranging multi-interest of the nation. Even amid pandemic, maritime security continues to be a challenging task," said ICG DG K Natarjan.

The ship is named in honour of freedom fighter Kanaklata Barua who was martyred while leading a procession carrying the Indian national flag during 1942 Quit India Movement.