The commissioning of INS Mahendragiri marks another major step in India's plan to build a 200-warship Navy by 2035. The Indian Navy continues to expand its fleet under its atmanirbhar (self-reliant) vision. INS Mahendragiri is the sixth frigate commissioned under Project-17A. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited built the warship. The Navy will soon induct Vindhyagiri, the seventh and final Project-17A frigate, which Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers(GRSE) is currently building.

The Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau designed all the Project-17A frigates in-house. These ships reflect India's growing capability to design and build advanced naval platforms without depending heavily on foreign manufacturers. The Navy has already commissioned more than 100 indigenously designed warships. INS Udaygiri, which entered service in August 2025, became the 100th domestically designed warship in the country's naval history.

The Navy aims to become fully atmanirbhar and develop the ability to operate independently across the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific region. It wants to build a strong naval force that can protect India's interests and maintain a steady presence in strategically important waters.

The Navy continues this effort through close cooperation with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), public and private shipyards, the Steel Authority of India Limited, IITs, private industries and academic institutions. This partnership supports the growth of a strong domestic naval manufacturing ecosystem. These efforts operate under the Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan (INIP), which the Navy introduced in 2015.

The Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan divides naval development into three categories: float, move and fight. The float category includes the hull and ship structure. The move category focuses on propulsion systems. The fight category covers combat management systems, weapons and sensors.

The Navy has made significant progress across all three categories. It has already indigenised more than 90% of float systems. Around 60% of move systems now come from domestic sources. The Navy has also advanced work on fight systems. Many components are already manufactured in India, while work on the remaining systems continues. According to the Navy, nearly 50% of fight-system projects are currently under development.

The Navy also wants to achieve full blue-water capability. This capability will allow Indian warships to operate effectively far from the country's coastline. Such reach will help the Navy protect India's interests across the Indian Ocean and beyond.

The Navy continues to strengthen its anti-submarine warfare capabilities and improve surveillance across India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It also wants to maintain a strong and credible deterrent. India regularly responds to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions across the Indian Ocean Region. As a regional first responder, the country needs additional ships and resources to carry out these responsibilities effectively and support regional stability.

India's focus on indigenisation also reflects the country's dependence on maritime trade. Nearly 90% of India's trade and about 80% of its critical freight move through sea routes. Protecting these sea lanes remains essential for national security and economic growth.

The Indian Navy has also demonstrated its ability to conduct long-duration operations. Since 2008, it has maintained continuous anti-piracy deployments that have protected thousands of merchant ships and seafarers. As the fleet expands, the Navy expects these operational responsibilities to increase. Domestically built platforms will help support these missions while improving reliability and reducing long-term costs.

The Navy is also preparing for future warfare by investing in unmanned systems, artificial intelligence and advanced sensors. These technologies will improve maritime domain awareness and increase combat effectiveness across different operational environments. Programmes such as Swavlamban, the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation and Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) guide industries and academic institutions towards the technologies the Navy requires. These initiatives also strengthen coordination between different stakeholders involved in defence production.

India has steadily transformed itself from a buyer of major naval platforms into a builder. The commissioning of INS Vikrant, the development of strategic submarine capability and the regular induction of indigenous frigates and destroyers highlight this progress. The induction of INS Mahendragiri adds another important milestone to this journey. By 2035, India aims to operate a fleet of 200 warships and submarines. The country also seeks to build a Navy that is technologically advanced, strategically independent and fully capable of protecting national interests across the Indo-Pacific.