Imposing warships, multi-colored pennants and ramrod-straight men in white marked India's first International Fleet Review (IFR) on Saturday, held on the west coast off Bombay. Destroyers, submarines and senior naval officers from 29 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Russia and Japan, took part in the goodwill pageant aimed at "building bridges of friendship". Indian President K.R. Narayanan took the review, waving to the thousands of assembled sailors as he cruised past the columns of Indian and foreign ships. "This (IFR) is a magnificent demonstration by the navies of the world to build bridges of friendship among nations and symbolic of their desire to maintain peace and tranquility on the seas," Narayanan said in a speech.