In a major push towards military modernisation and defence self-reliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday commissioned three indigenously built naval platforms at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata, marking another milestone in India’s expanding maritime capabilities under the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Stealth frigate INS Dunagiri, survey vessel INS Sanshodhak, and anti-submarine warfare craft INS Agray are entirely built in India and are designed to strengthen the Navy’s combat readiness, underwater warfare capability and maritime surveillance network.

The commissioning comes at a time when India is aggressively expanding its defence manufacturing ecosystem and reducing dependence on foreign military imports.

Why these three warships matter to India

The induction of these three platforms is significant because each ship serves a completely different but strategically critical role in naval operations. While one is built for frontline combat operations, another focuses on underwater threat detection, and the third is designed for advanced ocean mapping and maritime research.

Together, they represent a shift in India’s naval doctrine moving towards self-reliance while strengthening maritime dominance in the Indian Ocean Region.

According to Ministry of Defence, all three vessels have more than 75% indigenous content, showing the maturity of India’s growing defence manufacturing ecosystem.

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INS Dunagiri: India’s new stealth combat warship

The biggest highlight among the three is INS Dunagiri, the fifth warship built under India’s advanced Project 17A stealth frigate programme. The Indian Navy has described the warship as a highly advanced combat platform built for “multi-dimensional dominance and lethality.”

Designed using stealth technology, Dunagiri reportedly reduces radar signature, making it significantly harder for enemy forces to detect. The warship is equipped with some of India’s most powerful weapons systems, including BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface missiles and the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) defence system.

“At the strategic level, these multi-mission frigates are capable of operating in a ‘blue water’ environment — deep sea far from shore — dealing with both conventional and non-conventional threats,” a serving Navy officer said, according to The Indian Express.

Other vessels in the class are INS Nigiri, Himgiri, Taragiri, Udaygiri and Vindhyagiri.

Its long-range operational capability allows it to conduct extended deployments far from Indian shores, giving the Navy a stronger presence in strategic waters.

INS Sanshodhak: The Navy’s underwater intelligence platform

The second vessel, INS Sanshodhak, is not a combat warship but plays a crucial role in maritime intelligence gathering and underwater mapping. It is the fourth Survey Vessel Large (SVL) built for the Navy and is designed to conduct coastal as well as deep-water hydrographic surveys.

Its primary function is collecting critical oceanographic and geophysical data, information that helps both military operations and civilian maritime planning.

What makes Sanshodhak special is its advanced survey equipment, including Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) that can operate underwater for deep-sea exploration and mapping.

“Warships and submarines do not operate in an empty blue space. They move through waters shaped by depth, seabed features, currents, reefs, channels, ports, underwater slopes and coastal clutter. Knowing this environment helps ships move safely, submarines plan routes, ports update charts, and forces prepare for operations. It also supports civilian needs such as safe shipping, disaster relief, ocean research and coastal development,”  a Navy officer who has served on survey ships as saying in The Indian Express.

INS Agray: India’s new hunter against enemy submarines

The third vessel, INS Agray, is specifically designed to counter one of the biggest modern naval threats: enemy submarines.

It is the fourth vessel in India’s Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft programme. Unlike large destroyers or frigates that operate in deeper waters, Agray is built for operations in shallow coastal waters, where enemy submarines can hide close to shore.

The vessel is armed with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous rocket launchers and advanced shallow-water sonar systems capable of detecting underwater threats.

Its deployment strengthens India’s coastal defence shield, particularly in sensitive maritime zones where submarine infiltration remains a growing concern.

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Built in India, powered by Indian industry

One of the biggest achievements behind the commissioning is the level of indigenous manufacturing involved.

The three ships were developed with participation from more than 200 Indian MSMEs, alongside public sector shipyards, private defence manufacturers and Indian engineering firms.

The indigenous content in all three vessels exceeds 75%, significantly reducing reliance on imported defence systems.

‘India can no longer be a defence buyer’: PM Modi

During the commissioning ceremony, PM Modi said India can no longer remain dependent on foreign defence purchases. 

“These three ships symbolise three important resolutions of India. They were built in India, designed in India. They are the result of the talent of Indian industries, the skill of Indian engineers, and the hard work of Indian workers,” he said at the event 

The Prime Minister also said that India’s military strength should not be defined by becoming a market for global defence manufacturers.

“India no longer wants to remain a mere buyer in the defence sector. Our military power cannot become a market for the world. The definition of our strength lies in self-reliance,” PM Modi said.

Bigger maritime vision behind India’s Naval expansion

PM Modi also linked the commissioning to India’s larger geopolitical ambitions. “A country whose maritime power is strong will also have strong economic and strategic influence and India understands this reality well,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister compared Sunday’s commissioning to the induction of INS Vikrant, saying the journey from INS Vikrant to the induction of these three ships shows India’s rapidly growing defence independence.

Why this matters to India strategically

India’s naval modernisation has become increasingly important amid rising geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific and growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean. With these three vessels entering service, India strengthens three critical areas simultaneously:

1. Long-range combat capability through INS Dunagiri

2. Underwater surveillance and maritime intelligence through INS Sanshodhak

3. Coastal anti-submarine warfare capability through INS Agray

Together, the ships signal that India is steadily transforming from a defence importer into a country capable of designing and producing advanced military platforms domestically.

A look at how defence stocks worked on June 19

On Friday, defence stocks remained resilient even as broader market sentiment stayed weak, with the Nifty India Defence Index rising nearly 1% to hit an intraday high of 9,620.05. Out of 19 stocks on the index, 13 traded in the green, led by Paras Defence and Space Technologies, which jumped 7.3%.

Other gainers included Bharat Dynamics Limited (3.28%), Zen Technologies (3.14%), and Astra Microwave Products (2.4%). On the downside, BEML Limited fell 2.24%, while Cochin Shipyard Limited and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited also edged lower.

The defence index has gained 7% over the past week, surged 23.5% in three months, and is up 10.3% year-on-year.