The fleet includes warships, survey vessels, and anti-submarine warfare ships. The expansion aims to enhance self-reliance and regional security, driven by growing regional tensions and China’s increasing maritime presence in the Indian Ocean.
New Delhi: India will be commissioning over 25 ships in the next three years, making the Indian Navy a 150-ship naval force. India is currently building 54 ships, which are at different stages of construction and are expected to join the service in the next 6-7 years. This unprecedented maritime expansion, rooted in India’s strategic vision of self-reliance and regional dominance, marks a critical milestone in the country’s transformation into a blue-water navy. These ships would be a potent mix of firepower and versatility that reflects both strategic foresight and industrial resurgence. It should be noted that the development comes amid heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific, increasing maritime assertiveness by China, and India’s growing role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Sources told Asianet Newsable English: “Among those 25 ships, four warships are from Project 17A. Of which one will be delivered later this year and then two in 2026 and the remaining one in 2027.” Capable of full scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of Ports and Harbors, two Survey Vessel (Large) ships will be commissioned in the next two years. The ships are also capable of undertaking surveys of maritime limits and collection of oceanographic and geographical data for defence applications. A total of 14 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships will also be inducted into the force in the next 6-7 years. A naval vessel, anti-submarine warfare designed to detect, track, and destroy enemy submarines, utilizing specialized sensors, weapons, and tactics to counter submarine threats.
Strategic Naval Expansion
One Diving Support Vessel (DSV) – INS Nipun, which is currently undergoing sea trials, will be delivered to the force later this year. Being built by the Larsen & Toubro, two multipurpose vessels (MPV) of Samarthak-class will also be delivered in the same period. A total of five small-size diving support vessels are being built by Kolkata-based Tithagarh to be delivered. One will be commissioned next month. These 30-meter ships are equipped with modern diving gear to support diving operations in coastal waters and are a key part of the Indian Navy’s operational capabilities and the Make-in-India initiative. Among other ships which are under construction, include three new cadet training ships and 11 next generation offshore patrol vessels. The new cadet training ships are being made by the L&T while seven NG OPV are being constructed by the Goa Shipyard Limited and four by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited.
Five fleet support ships are also at the various levels of construction at Vizag-based Hindustan Shipyards Limited (HSL). It is pertinent to mention here that China’s growing maritime footprint in the Indian Ocean Region, its base in Djibouti, and the increasing frequency of Chinese warships and submarines in the region have added urgency to India’s naval modernization drive.