The commissioning of three indigenously designed and built naval platforms—INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray—by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 21 underscores the Indian Navy’s transformation into perhaps the country’s foremost ‘Make in India’ military force.
Once heavily dependent on foreign shipyards and imported technologies, the navy has today emerged as the driving force behind India’s indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem, with an overwhelming majority of its warships being designed and built at home.
Addressing the ceremony, Modi underscored the centrality of sea power in national security in the 21st century. “No nation can emerge as a major power without strong maritime capabilities. Development, security and prosperity are closely linked to the oceans. Most of the world’s trade moves through sea routes while vast global data networks operate beneath the oceans,” he said.
The prime minister noted that critical minerals, deep-sea resources and future energy sources will increasingly shape geopolitical competition, making maritime capability a key determinant of economic and strategic influence.
The navy’s transformation has been powered by a robust institutional architecture within the force. Organisations such as the Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE), Advanced Technology Vessel Project (ATVP), Directorate of Indigenisation, Warship Design Bureau (WDB), and Directorate of Ship Production (DSP), which functions under the Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition (CWP&A), as well as specialised naval design directorates have created an end-to-end indigenous capability spanning design, construction, weapons integration and lifecycle support. Their efforts have enabled India to move from licence-building of foreign platforms to developing sophisticated warships equipped with indigenous sensors, weapons and combat management systems.
The numbers reflect the scale of this shift. The Indian Navy operates more than 130 warships and submarines, while around 50 vessels are under construction in Indian shipyards—the highest-ever indigenous shipbuilding effort undertaken by the country. Most of these platforms are being built with indigenous content, ranging from 75 to over 80 per cent, involving hundreds of MSMEs and thousands of skilled workers across the defence industrial base. The navy plans to expand its fleet to around 155-160 warships by 2030 and potentially 175-200 vessels by the mid-2030s, with domestic shipyards expected to deliver the bulk of this expansion.
The three vessels commissioned by Modi in Kolkata encapsulate this journey. INS Dunagiri, a Project 17A stealth frigate, showcases India’s ability to build frontline combatants equipped with advanced missile, radar and anti-submarine warfare systems. INS Sanshodhak demonstrates indigenous expertise in specialised hydrographic and oceanographic platforms while INS Agray highlights growing capabilities in anti-submarine warfare and coastal security. Together, they represent a navy that is shaping a self-reliant maritime industrial ecosystem central to India’s strategic ambitions in the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific.
Behind this steady production rhythm lies a vast institutional ecosystem within the navy. Specialist organisations such as WESEE, ATVP and the Directorate of Indigenisation have played a pivotal role in developing indigenous combat systems, sensors, weapons integration capabilities and strategic technologies, thereby reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.
Their efforts are complemented by the Directorate of Electrical Engineering (DEE), Directorate of Marine Engineering (DMEC), and Directorate of Naval Architecture (DNA). These entities ensure that increasingly sophisticated warships are equipped with Indian-designed and Indian-manufactured systems. At the heart of the shipbuilding process are WDB, DSP, Directorate of Staff Requirements and Warship Overseeing Teams. Together, these organisations translate operational requirements into cutting-edge warship designs, supervise construction at shipyards and ensure timely delivery of complex naval platforms.
The commissioning of INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray illustrates how this ecosystem has transformed the Indian Navy from a ‘buyer’ to a ‘builder’ force, with virtually all major warships currently on order being constructed in India under the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
INS Dunagiri: Fifth Nilgiri-class stealth frigate
INS Dunagiri represents a major milestone in indigenous warship design and construction. The fifth ship of the Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) and the second vessel of the class built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata, INS Dunagiri was delivered to the Indian Navy on March 30 this year.
The warship is a reincarnation of the erstwhile INS Dunagiri, a Leander-class frigate that served the navy from May 1977 to October 2010. The new vessel reflects a quantum leap in naval design, stealth, automation, firepower and survivability while preserving the legacy of its predecessor.
Designed by the WDB and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team in Kolkata, Project 17A frigates represent a generational advancement over the earlier Shivalik-class (Project 17) vessels. Built under the philosophy of integrated construction, the ship was completed and delivered within the envisaged timeline.
The frigate is equipped with a significantly enhanced weapons and sensor suite, including BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, MF-STAR multifunction radar, the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system, a Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM), close-in weapon systems, anti-submarine rockets and torpedoes.
Powered by a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system featuring diesel engines and gas turbines driving controllable pitch propellers, the vessel also incorporates a state-of-the-art Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).
INS Dunagiri is the fifth Project 17A frigate delivered to the navy in the last 16 months. Lessons learned from the construction of the first four ships enabled the building period to be compressed to 80 months compared with 93 months for the lead ship, INS Nilgiri. With indigenous content reaching 75 per cent, the project involved more than 200 MSMEs and generated employment for approximately 4,000 personnel directly and over 10,000 indirectly.
Highlighting the progress made in indigenous warship construction, Indian Navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said INS Dunagiri is equipped with the latest combat capabilities and represents a significant leap in shipbuilding efficiency. “Its construction was completed in about 33 per cent less time compared to the previous frigate programme,” he said, underscoring the growing maturity of India’s naval design and manufacturing ecosystem.
INS Sanshodhak: Enhancing India’s hydrographic reach
INS Sanshodhak is the fourth and final Survey Vessel (Large) built under a contract signed in October 2018. The vessel was delivered to the navy on March 30. INS Sanshodhak follows INS Sandhayak, INS Nirdeshak and INS Ikshak, which were commissioned in February 2024, December 2024 and November 2025, respectively.
Designed by the WDB and constructed by GRSE in accordance with Indian Register of Shipping classification rules, the vessel will play a crucial role in hydrographic surveying, navigation safety and maritime domain awareness. The ship is capable of conducting full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys, mapping harbour approaches and navigational channels while collecting oceanographic and geophysical data for both defence and civilian applications.
Displacing approximately 3,400 tonnes and measuring 110 metres in length, INS Sanshodhak is equipped with advanced hydrographic technologies, including Data Acquisition and Processing Systems, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, Remotely Operated Vehicles, Digital Side Scan Sonars and long-range Differential GPS positioning systems. Powered by twin diesel engines, the vessel can achieve speeds exceeding 18 knots (33 km per hour).
The ship’s keel was laid in June 2022 and it was launched in June 2023 before undergoing extensive harbour and sea trials. With indigenous content exceeding 80 per cent by cost, Sanshodhak reflects the collaborative contribution of Indian industry, MSMEs and the navy’s design and oversight establishments towards strengthening India’s maritime capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region.
INS Agray: Strengthening coastal anti-submarine warfare
Completing the trio is INS Agray, the fourth of eight Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft being built by GRSE. The vessel was delivered to the navy on March 30. The ship is intended to strengthen coastal anti-submarine warfare operations, mine warfare and maritime surveillance in shallow waters.
At approximately 77 metres in length, Agray and its sister ships are the largest Indian naval warships propelled by waterjets. The platform is equipped with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous rocket launchers and advanced shallow-water sonar systems, enabling effective detection, tracking and engagement of underwater threats.
Like Dunagiri, Agray also carries forward a distinguished naval legacy. The vessel is named after the erstwhile INS Agray, a patrol Vessel of the 1241 PE class that was decommissioned in 2017. With indigenous content exceeding 80 per cent, the warship is another example of India’s growing defence manufacturing capability and the navy’s sustained efforts to reduce dependence on imports while building advanced combat platforms at home.
The commissioning of these three vessels marks more than a routine fleet expansion. Together, they represent India’s growing ability to design, build and integrate sophisticated naval platforms across mission profiles ranging from high-end combat operations and anti-submarine warfare to hydrographic surveying.
Meanwhile. stealth frigate Mahendragiri and Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft Malwan are expected to be commissioned in July. These will accelerate India’s indigenous naval build-up. As India seeks a larger role in the Indo-Pacific and the wider maritime domain, the induction of INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray signals that the country’s naval modernisation is increasingly being powered by indigenous innovation and industrial capability.
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