KOCHI: In a bid to increase coastal security awareness and strengthen community participation, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will launch the second edition of the CISF Vande Mataram Coastal Cyclothon – a 6,553-km nationwide cycling expedition tracing India’s entire mainland coastline.
The 25-day programme, to be held under the theme ‘Secure Coasts, Prosperous India’, builds on the success of the inaugural cyclothon and carries the patriotic message of Vande Mataram, officials said.
India’s coastline hosts more than 250 ports, including 72 export-import ports that handle nearly 95% of the country’s trade. Key installations such as refineries, shipyards and nuclear power plants also dot the coast, making the region critical to economic growth and energy security.
These assets, however, face persistent threats including drug and arms smuggling, infiltration and other illegal activities. For over five decades, CISF has been tasked with securing 14 major ports and other vital coastal infrastructure.
Two teams of CISF cyclists will begin simultaneously from opposite ends of the country – from Lakhpat Fort in Kachchh, Gujarat, on the western coast, and from Bakkhali in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, on the eastern coast. The teams will traverse coastal cities such as Mumbai, Goa, Visakhapatnam and Chennai before converging in Kochi on February 22, 2026. Around 130 CISF personnel will participate in the expedition.