Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala

The Indian Naval Academy (INA or INA Ezhimala) is the defence service training establishment for officer cadre of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, located in Ezhimala, Kannur district, Kerala. Situated between Ezhimala hill and the Kavvayi backwaters, INA has a 7-kilometre beachfront on the Laccadive Sea and conducts basic training for all officers inducted into the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard. It is described as Asia's largest and the world's third-largest naval academy. The Naval Academy (NAVAC) was established in May 1969, with Orientation course training commencing in August 2005, and it was formally inaugurated on 8 January 2009 as the Indian Naval Academy. It shares its 2,452-acre site with the naval base depot INS Zamorin and the naval hospital INHS Navjivani. The President's Colour, the highest honour bestowed upon a military unit, was awarded to INA on 20 November 2019. The academy's flagship program is the 10+2 Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC), a four-year training course, while NDA cadets opting for the Navy complete three years of joint training at NDA, Khadakwasla before transferring. The Commandant, a three-star Vice Admiral, heads the academy.