Rajnath Singh Flags Off Indian Expedition to Scale South America’s Highest Peak

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on 5 February 2026 flagged off a joint Indian mountaineering expedition to Mount Aconcagua in Argentina from South Block, New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in India's global adventure and mountain exploration footprint.

Rising to 6,961 metres, Mount Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America and the highest mountain outside Asia, presenting one of the world's most demanding high-altitude challenges.

Joint Effort by India's Premier Mountaineering Institutes

The expedition is being jointly undertaken by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, and the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM&WS), Pahalgam—two of India's leading institutions in adventure training and alpine excellence.

Commending both institutes, Shri Rajnath Singh praised their role in preparing personnel to face extreme challenges with courage, grit and determination.

"Scaling Mount Aconcagua is not merely a test of physical endurance. It is a true examination of leadership, teamwork and mental resilience—qualities that define the finest mountaineers of India," the Raksha Mantri said.

He expressed confidence that the team would successfully scale the peak and bring pride to the nation.

Elite Six-Member Team

The expedition team comprises six highly trained and experienced instructors:

• Col Hem Chandra Singh

• Capt G Santhosh Kumar

• Shri Deep Bahadur Sahi

• Shri Vinod Gusain

• Nb Sub Bhupinder Singh

• Hav Ramesh Kumar

The team will depart on 6 February 2026, with the expedition expected to conclude by the end of the month.

Strengthening Training and Global Presence

Officials noted that the experience gained from Mount Aconcagua will directly enhance high-altitude training standards in India, contributing to safer and more effective preparation of youth, Armed Forces personnel and adventure enthusiasts.

Beyond the climb itself, the expedition symbolises India's growing presence on the global mountaineering stage, reinforcing the country's reputation for professionalism, resilience and leadership in extreme environments.