The Indian Navy commissioned the indigenously built advanced stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri into its Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on July 11, 2026. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh presided over the commissioning ceremony, describing the warship as a major milestone in India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing and naval shipbuilding.
INS Mahendragiri is the sixth Project 17A stealth frigate to join the Indian Navy in just 1.5 years. Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, the warship has more than 75% indigenous content. It has a displacement of about 6,670 tonnes, can reach speeds of up to 28 knots, and is built to carry out fleet air defence, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, surveillance, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions.
The frigate is equipped with advanced stealth features, modern sensors, network-centric combat systems, and state-of-the-art weapon systems. It can be fitted with the BrahMos surface-to-surface missile, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine warfare systems, an indigenous rocket launcher, torpedo launchers, an Integrated Anti-Submarine Defence System, an Electronic Warfare suite, a Close-In Weapon System, and an embarked multi-role helicopter.
During the ceremony, Rajnath Singh said the government remains committed to investing in next-generation technologies while continuing to strengthen conventional military capabilities. He said maritime security is closely linked to trade, energy security, supply chains, and economic growth, adding that INS Mahendragiri will strengthen India’s eastern seaboard, expand its blue-water operational reach, and reinforce its presence in the Indian Ocean Region. He also noted that under Operation Urja Suraksha, the Indian Navy safely escorted 18 merchant vessels carrying cargo worth over Rs 9,000 crore during the West Asia conflict.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said INS Mahendragiri represents India’s growing maritime capability and technological self-reliance. He said the Project 17A programme has reduced the launch-to-delivery timeline by about 50%, from 63 months to 31 months, while total construction time has fallen by around 20%, from 95 months to 75 months. He also said all technical analyses for the ship were completed in a single sea trial instead of the usual five to seven trials.
Named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, INS Mahendragiri carries the motto “Mighty, Majestic, Matchless”. Built with contributions from more than 200 Indian industries, including numerous MSMEs, the frigate features a Combined Diesel or Gas propulsion system, an Integrated Platform Management System, and advanced indigenous combat systems. The warship will now join the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, also known as the Sunrise Fleet, to enhance India’s maritime combat capability and operational reach in the Indian Ocean Region.
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