Navy key protector of India’s economic interests: Rajnath Singh

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the Indian Navy is not just a fighting force but also a key protector of the country’s economic interests

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the Indian Navy is not just a fighting force but also a key protector of the country’s economic interests, citing its key role during the West Asia conflict when it escorted 18 merchant vessels carrying cargo worth over ₹ 9,000 crore under Operation Urja Suraksha.

“Recent events have once again proven how essential a capable and responsive navy is for any nation…From maritime security to economic security, the Indian Navy is the trusted power of the entire Indo-Pacific region,” Singh said in Visakhapatnam. The comments came as the navy commissioned its latest stealth frigate, INS Mahendragiri, bolstering its presence in the Indian Ocean Region and the broader Indo-Pacific where China continues to expand its maritime reach.

“INS Mahendragiri will enhance the strength of the eastern seaboard, extend India’s blue-water reach, and further consolidate its presence in the Indian Ocean Region,” he said.

The sixth of seven stealth frigates under the ₹45,000-crore Project 17A, the warship is named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats. Navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan described the new warship as a symbol of India’s growing maritime capability and technological self-reliance, adding its commissioning marked another milestone in indigenous warship construction. “INS Mahendragiri will further strengthen our combat readiness and contribute significantly to safeguarding India’s maritime interests,” he said.

The final P-17A frigate, Vindhyagiri, will be commissioned later this year. Nilgiri, Udaygiri, Taragiri and Mahendragiri were built at Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), while Himgiri and Dunagiri were constructed at Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), where Vindhyagiri is under construction.

The P-17A (or Nilgiri-class) platforms reflect India’s advanced warship-building capabilities, featuring 75% indigenous content and equipped with cutting-edge weapons, sensors and systems designed to dominate the maritime battlespace. The P-17A, a successor to the Shivalik-class stealth frigates (P-17), marks a significant leap forward in warship design and capability.

Alongside achieving over 75% indigenous content, MDL and the navy have set several new benchmarks in this project, the navy chief said. “The timeframe from launch to delivery has been reduced by approximately 50%, from 63 months to 31 months. The total construction time has decreased by 20%, from 95 months to 75 months. Instead of the usual five to seven sea trials, all technical analyses were completed in just a single sea trial,” Swaminathan added.

The P-17A frigates are equipped with modern weapons, including BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the defence ministry said.