PM Modi to commission 3 indigenously built naval ships in Kolkata on June 21

Three indigenously built naval warships — INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray — were commissioned into the Indian Navy at a ceremony in Kolkata on Ju...

What Happened

Three indigenously built naval warships — INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray — were commissioned into the Indian Navy at a ceremony in Kolkata on June 21, 2026.
All three vessels were built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), a public sector undertaking headquartered in Kolkata.
Each ship carries more than 75% indigenous content, and their construction involved over 200 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The commissioning is part of the Indian Navy's plan to induct 19 warships in 2026 — the largest single-year fleet expansion in its history.
The event underscores the momentum of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative in the defence manufacturing sector.

Static Topic Bridges

The Three Ships — Capabilities and Class

The simultaneous commissioning of three different vessel types from a single builder in one ceremony is rare, reflecting both GRSE's manufacturing capacity and the Indian Navy's accelerated acquisition timeline.

INS Dunagiri: - Class: Project 17A (Nilgiri-class) stealth frigate — fifth ship of the class. - Builder: GRSE, Kolkata. - Designed by: Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB). - Armament: BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles; Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system. - Role: blue-water combat; multi-mission stealth frigate.

INS Sanshodhak: - Class: Survey Vessel (Large) — fourth of class. - Builder: GRSE, Kolkata. - Capabilities: coastal and deep-sea hydrographic surveys; oceanographic and geophysical data collection; equipped with Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). - Role: maritime domain awareness; supports both defence and civilian applications including port development, cable/pipeline routing, and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) mapping.

INS Agray: - Class: Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASWSWC) — fourth ship of class. - Builder: GRSE, Kolkata. - Armament: lightweight torpedoes; indigenous rocket launchers; shallow-water sonar systems. - Role: detecting and neutralizing submarine threats in coastal/littoral waters.

Connection to this news: The diversity of vessel types — a stealth frigate, a survey ship, and an ASW craft — commissioned together illustrates the breadth of India's indigenous naval shipbuilding capability.

Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence Manufacturing

Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) is the overarching policy framework launched in May 2020 for reducing import dependence across strategic sectors. In defence, it translates into specific procurement policies: a positive indigenisation list (PIL) that bars imports of listed items, mandated domestic sourcing in defence tenders, and the creation of two Defence Industrial Corridors (Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu). The Indian Navy has been a leading driver — it now aims for a 200-ship fleet by 2035, with the majority to be indigenously built.

Ministry of Defence has released multiple Positive Indigenisation Lists (PILs) for defence equipment; items on the list can only be procured domestically.
Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 gives highest preference to "Make in India" categories.
India's defence exports have grown from Rs 2,059 crore (2016-17) to over Rs 21,000 crore (2023-24).
Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) designs all indigenously built major warships.
Two Defence Industrial Corridors: Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, to cluster defence manufacturing.
GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL), and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) are the three primary public-sector naval shipbuilders.

Connection to this news: All three ships were built by GRSE under the Atmanirbhar Bharat framework, with over 75% indigenous content and deep MSME supply-chain integration — the model the government aims to replicate across naval acquisitions.

Project 17A — India's Stealth Frigate Programme

Project 17A is the Indian Navy's stealth frigate programme, succeeding Project 17 (the Shivalik class). The Nilgiri-class frigates under P17A incorporate advanced stealth features, modular construction, and a significantly higher indigenous content ratio than their predecessors. P17A ships are being built concurrently at two shipyards — MDL (Mumbai) and GRSE (Kolkata) — to spread manufacturing capacity and reduce delivery timelines.

Total ships in P17A: 7 (4 at MDL + 3 at GRSE).
INS Nilgiri (P17A lead ship) commissioned in 2025.
INS Dunagiri is the fifth P17A frigate.
Stealth features: reduced radar cross-section, infra-red signature suppression, low acoustic signature.
Indigenous content: 75%+ by value.

Connection to this news: INS Dunagiri's commissioning marks another milestone in the P17A programme, which is the cornerstone of the Indian Navy's blue-water combat expansion.

Key Facts & Data

Ships commissioned: INS Dunagiri (P17A stealth frigate), INS Sanshodhak (Survey Vessel Large), INS Agray (Arnala-class ASW).
Builder: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata — a DPSU (Defence Public Sector Undertaking).
Indigenous content: over 75% in all three vessels.
MSMEs involved: 200+.
Indian Navy's 2026 warship induction target: 19 ships (record for a single year).
Indian Navy's fleet target: 200 ships by 2035.
Atmanirbhar Bharat launched: May 2020.
India's defence exports 2023-24: over Rs 21,000 crore.
Defence Industrial Corridors: 2 (Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu).
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India (DRDO) and Russia; range ~290 km (upgraded versions up to 450–800 km).
MRSAM (Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile): jointly developed by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI); range ~70 km.