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Internal Security June 21, 2026 4 min read Daily brief · #25 of 25

Modi commissions 3 indigenous frontline naval ships, says ‘strong maritime capability deciding factor for country's eco, strategic influence’

The Indian Navy inducted three indigenously built warships — INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray — in a rare triple commissioning ceremony in Kolkata...

GS Paper 2 (Security) GS Paper 3 (Defence Manufacturing Economy)

What Happened

  • The Indian Navy inducted three indigenously built warships — INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray — in a rare triple commissioning ceremony in Kolkata on June 21, 2026.
  • All three vessels were built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, a public sector shipyard in Kolkata, and were physically delivered on March 30, 2026.
  • The commissioning marks a significant acceleration in India's naval expansion: 45 warships are currently under construction across domestic shipyards, with 19 more vessels planned for induction in 2026.
  • The constitutional head of government presided over the ceremony, underscoring the political and strategic importance of the milestone as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.
  • Over 40 indigenously built warships have been inducted into the Indian Navy in recent years, signalling a structural shift from platform import to domestic production.

Static Topic Bridges

Project 17A — Nilgiri-Class Advanced Stealth Frigates

Project 17A is the Indian Navy's programme to build seven advanced guided-missile stealth frigates — a follow-on to the earlier Shivalik-class (Project 17) ships. INS Dunagiri is the fifth ship of this class. These frigates represent India's most capable surface combatants in terms of stealth, firepower, and sensor integration.

  • Length: 149 metres; Displacement: 6,670 tonnes; Crew: 226
  • Propulsion: Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) — two GE LM2500 gas turbines + two MAN diesel engines
  • Armament: 8 VLS-launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles (Mach 3, range up to 500 km), AESA radar, integrated combat management system
  • Stealth features: Flush-deck layout to reduce radar cross-section (RCS); Venturi-effect exhaust cooling to lower infrared signature; acoustic enclosures to dampen machinery noise; low-cavitation propellers
  • Indigenous content: approximately 75%

Connection to this news: INS Dunagiri is the fifth Project 17A frigate and was built by GRSE (not Mazagon Dock, which builds the others), demonstrating distributed domestic production capacity.

Survey Vessels and Hydrographic Operations

Survey vessels (SVL — Survey Vessel Large) are naval platforms that collect bathymetric, oceanographic, and geophysical data. This data underpins safe navigation, submarine operations, and undersea cable routing. INS Sanshodhak is the fourth and final ship of the Sandhayak-class SVL programme.

  • Length: 110 metres; Displacement: ~3,300 tonnes
  • Equipment: Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), digital side-scan sonar, data acquisition and processing units
  • Roles: Coastal and deep-water surveys, oceanographic data collection, limited helicopter support, limited combat operations
  • Hydrographic data supports both civilian navigation (DGLL charts) and military operational planning

Connection to this news: INS Sanshodhak completes the four-ship Sandhayak-class programme, giving the Navy a modernised hydrographic survey fleet that enhances maritime domain awareness.

Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) — Shallow Water Craft

Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) are specialised platforms designed to detect and neutralise submarines operating in coastal and littoral zones. INS Agray is the fourth of eight such vessels being built for the Indian Navy.

  • Length: ~77 metres; propelled by waterjet propulsion (one of the largest Indian naval warships with this system)
  • Armament: Lightweight torpedoes, indigenous rocket launchers, shallow-water SONAR
  • Role: Detection and engagement of underwater threats in littoral waters — the most challenging ASW environment due to thermoclines, background noise, and shallow depths
  • ASW SWC fills a critical gap: submarines can operate far closer to coastlines than surface combatants can easily detect

Connection to this news: INS Agray strengthens India's ability to protect its critical coastal infrastructure, ports, and EEZ against submarine threats from adversaries.

Indigenisation in Defence Manufacturing

India's defence indigenisation strategy operates through several policy levers: the Positive Indigenisation Lists (PIL) restricting imports of items that can be made domestically, the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) prioritising Buy Indian and Make in India categories, and government-funded R&D via DRDO. The government has announced two major shipbuilding schemes worth ₹44,700 crore (Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme and Shipbuilding Development Scheme) to accelerate domestic shipbuilding.

  • As of 2026: 90% of Float category (hulls/structures), 60% of Move category (propulsion), and 50% of Fight category (weapons/sensors) have been indigenised
  • Three major public shipyards handle warship construction: GRSE (Kolkata), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (Mumbai), Cochin Shipyard (Kochi)
  • India's goal: transition from being a "buyer's Navy" to a "builder's Navy" — manufacturing warships for export as well as domestic use
  • MSMEs contribute significantly; Mazagon Dock's warships alone involve contributions from 200+ MSMEs

Connection to this news: All three vessels were built entirely by GRSE, an Indian public sector undertaking, with high indigenous content — a concrete demonstration of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat defence manufacturing mission.

Key Facts & Data

  • INS Dunagiri: 5th ship, Nilgiri class (Project 17A); 149 m long; 6,670 tonnes; BrahMos missiles; AESA radar; ~75% indigenous content; built by GRSE
  • INS Sanshodhak: 4th and final Sandhayak-class Survey Vessel Large (SVL); 110 m long; ~3,300 tonnes; equipped with AUVs, ROVs, side-scan sonar; built by GRSE
  • INS Agray: 4th of 8 ASW Shallow Water Craft; ~77 m long; waterjet propulsion; lightweight torpedoes + indigenous rocket launchers + shallow-water SONAR; built by GRSE
  • All three delivered by GRSE on March 30, 2026; commissioned June 21, 2026
  • 45 warships currently under construction across Indian shipyards (as of mid-2026)
  • 10 ships + 1 submarine inducted in 2025; 19 more planned for 2026; 13 more in 2027
  • Government shipbuilding support schemes: ₹44,700 crore combined (Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme + Shipbuilding Development Scheme)
  • India's defence indigenisation target: 70%+ local content across warships by the end of the decade
On this page
  1. What Happened
  2. Static Topic Bridges
  3. Project 17A — Nilgiri-Class Advanced Stealth Frigates
  4. Survey Vessels and Hydrographic Operations
  5. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) — Shallow Water Craft
  6. Indigenisation in Defence Manufacturing
  7. Key Facts & Data
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