Indian Navy to sharpen edge in Indian Ocean region with six stealth frigates
The Project 17A stealth frigates that the navy will commission into service by August-September 2026 are Udaygiri, Taragiri, Mahendragiri, Himgiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri --- platforms that will showcase the country's warship building prowess, have an indigenous content of 75% and come with modern weapons, sensors and systems to dominate the sea battlespace, the officials said.
The navy inducted the first P-17A warship INS Nilgiri in January and is expected to commission Udaygiri in August. The ₹45,000-crore P-17A is a follow-on of the Shivalik-class (P-17) stealth frigates and represents a significant upgrade over the previous warships.
Taragiri and Mahendragiri are being built at Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), and Himgiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri are in different stages of construction at Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited.
'There were some teething troubles when P-17A began… the first ship. The project has moved ahead smoothly thereafter. Taragiri and Mahendragiri will be delivered to the navy after the completion of necessary trials in October 2025 and February 2026,' said Jay Varghese, the P-17A in-charge at MDL.
The navy usually commissions a warship one or two months after its delivery. MDL delivered Udaygiri to the navy on July 1. The weapons on the P-17A warships include BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and the medium-range surface-to-air missile system.
Himgiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri are expected to be delivered to the navy in July-end, early next year and August 2026, people aware of the matter said.
On January 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation three locally built combat platforms, including INS Nilgiri. INS Surat, a destroyer, and Vaghsheer, the sixth and final Kalvari-class submarine -- also built at the MDL -- were commissioned on the same day. At the rare tri-commissioning, Modi said it was a significant step towards empowering the Indian Navy of the 21st century.
The development also put the spotlight on the navy's fast-paced indigenisation and how it is working on becoming fully self-reliant by 2047, when India celebrates 100 years of independence --- around 60 warships are under construction at various Indian shipyards.
The P-17A stealth frigates have a displacement of 6,670 tonnes, are 149 metres long, can reach a top speed of 28 knots and carry 225 personnel. The new platforms will boost the navy's operational capabilities and combat readiness in the Indian Ocean region, a strategic maritime expanse where the challenges include China's carefully calculated power play for influence and defending the rules-based international order.
China is seeking to expand its maritime footprint in the region by setting up military bases, pushing countries to advance its maritime claims and forcing strategic concessions from vulnerable states. The Indian Navy keeps a close watch on extra-regional activity in the region, especially the presence of Chinese vessels.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
S&P Global upgrades India investment rating: What about the Trump tariff effect?
S&P Global Ratings on Thursday bumped up India's investment grade rating, indicating that the economy's growth prospects won't be derailed by the US President Donald Trump administration's 50 per cent tariff shock. India's ratings upgrade comes days after Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff due to Russian oil purchases amid Moscow's war in Ukraine.(Representational) According to a statement from S&P, India's credit rating has been upgraded to BBB from BBB-, with a stable outlook. The bump places India in the same rating category as countries like Mexico, Indonesia, and Greece. The ratings reflect India's stronger economic fundamentals, S&P (previously Standard and Poor's) said. 'The upgrade of India reflects its buoyant economic growth, against the backdrop of an enhanced monetary policy environment that anchors inflationary expectations. Together with the government's commitment to fiscal consolidation and efforts to improve spending quality, we believe these factors have coalesced to benefit credit metrics,' S&P said in the statement. The upgrade comes days after Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff due to Russian oil purchases amid Moscow's war in Ukraine. The total tariff now stands at 50 per cent. According to an estimate by Bloomberg Economics, India's exports to the US could drop by 60 per cent if the tariffs remain in place, putting nearly 1 percent of its gross domestic product at risk. S&P, however, said the economic impact will be 'manageable' as 60 per cent of India's growth is driven by domestic consumption. While the US tariffs 'may eventually result in a one-off hit to growth, we envisage the overall impact to be marginal and will not derail India's long-term growth prospects,' the statement said. India's sovereign 10-year bonds rallied, with yields falling as much as 10 basis points to 6.38 percent following the announcement. The rupee also rallied after the announcement. S&P's growth forecast for India S&P Global Ratings expects India's GDP to grow at an annual rate of 6.8 percent over the next three years. By contrast, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week projected 6.5 percent growth for the current fiscal year, with governor Sanjay Malhotra adding that the country should aspire to a higher growth trajectory. The union government welcomed the S&P's decision to upgrade ratings. 'India's prioritising of fiscal consolidation, while maintaining its strong infrastructure drive and inclusive growth approach, has led to the upgrade,' the Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Anuradha Thakur said in a statement.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
After S&P Rating Upgrade, BJP Attacks Rahul Gandhi Over "Dead Economy" Remark
New Delhi: The comment of Congress's Rahul Gandhi that India is a "dead economy" had backfired after S&P Global Ratings raised its long-term unsolicited sovereign credit ratings on India to 'BBB' from 'BBB-', and its short-term ratings to 'A-2' from 'A-3'. The upgrade reflects India's "buoyant economic growth, against the backdrop of an enhanced monetary policy environment that anchors inflationary expectations," S&P said. It brought massive jeers from the BJP, which questioned why Rahul Gandhi "roots for failure". Last month, after announcing 25 per cent tariffs on imports from India, US President Donald Trump said he did not care about New Delhi's dealings with Moscow and that the two "can take their dead economies down together". Shortly after, Mr Gandhi told reporters at Parliament that he agreed with the US President. "He is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact." It had unleashed a political storm with not just the BJP attacking him, even Shashi Tharoor and Rajiv Shukla giving dissenting views. "India remains among the best performing economies in the world. It staged a remarkable comeback from the pandemic with real GDP growth over fiscal 2022 (year-end March 31) to fiscal 2024 averaging 8.8%, the highest in Asia-Pacific," S&P said today. "We expect these growth dynamics to continue in the medium term, with GDP increasing 6.8% annually over the next three years. This has a moderating effect on the ratio of government debt to GDP despite still-wide fiscal deficits," it added. The recent performance of the Indian economy, S&P said, highlights its "historical resilience". "We also predicate our projections for solid growth (notwithstanding external headwinds) on the country's constructive structural trends. These trends include healthy demographics and competitive unit labor costs. In addition, we believe India's corporate and financial sectors have stronger balance sheets than before the pandemic," it added.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
'Exhili-Rating' For India: How S&P Upgrade Strengthens Negotiating Power In Trade Talks
Last Updated: The agency has raised India's long-term unsolicited sovereign credit ratings to 'BBB' from 'BBB-', and its short-term ratings to 'A-2' from 'A-3' The mood is upbeat with the S&P rating system upgrading India. They have raised India's long-term unsolicited sovereign credit ratings to 'BBB" from 'BBB-', and its short-term ratings to 'A-2" from 'A-3". The outlook on the long-term rating is stable. This is seen as a significant acknowledgement of India's growth story, especially given the cynicism within the Congress and Rahul Gandhi endorsing American President Donald Trump's comment that India was a dead economy. The global ratings agency stated, 'The stable outlook reflects our view that continued policy stability and high infrastructure investment will support India's long-term growth prospects. That, along with cautious fiscal and monetary policy that moderates the government's elevated debt and interest burden, will underpin the rating over the next 24 months." This is significant considering the uncertainty over the Indian market and trade, given the face-off between India and the US. There is concern that high tariffs could impact India's economy. However, the agency acknowledged these apprehensions and said, 'Though the U.S. is India's largest trading partner, we do not expect the 50% tariffs (if imposed) to pose a material drag on growth. India's exports to the U.S. constitute about 2% of GDP. Factoring in sectoral exemptions on pharmaceuticals and consumer electronics, the exposure of Indian exports subjected to tariffs is lower at 1.2% of GDP. Though this may eventually result in a one-off hit to growth, we envisage the overall impact to be marginal and will not derail India's long-term growth prospects." The Indian government has been appreciated for its political stability. The agency mentioned that with the BJP having a majority in Parliament, the formulation of laws and schemes becomes easier. It has predicted a GDP growth of about 6.5%. Many government schemes and initiatives by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, like Jan Dhan, push to MSMEs, Ayushman Bharat, to name a few, have helped the economy. Additionally, the commerce ministry has released data showing that this quarter alone, trade has increased in many critical sectors like gems, mechanical goods, and auto parts. While there is concern about trade ties between the US and India, the ministry remains hopeful. The ministry stated, 'Commerce ministry—negotiations with US are ongoing… talks are on… BTA talks are engaged… the US is an important trade partner for us just as we are for them." These ratings are also important as India is poised to sign several bilateral trade agreements with other countries. A good rating will give India more power to negotiate. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
