INS Mahendragiri Joins the Fleet in Visakhapatnam

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned the stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, marking the near-completion of the Indian Navy's Project 17A Nilgiri-class warship programme. Built indigenously by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai and designed by the Navy's own Warship Design Bureau, the frigate carries over 75 percent indigenous content, reflecting the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat push in defence manufacturing.

Andhra Pradesh Called a New Defence Powerhouse

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Singh described Andhra Pradesh as a critical new nerve-centre for India's defence and aerospace manufacturing, citing the state's expanding role across air, water, land, and unmanned combat domains. "Andhra Pradesh is emerging as a new powerhouse for India's Defence and Aerospace Manufacturing today. It is playing its role across air, water, land, and the unmanned domain," Singh said, pointing to the recently laid foundation stones for the AMCA Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre in Puttaparthi and a new Bharat Dynamics Limited naval systems manufacturing facility in Anakapalli district, which will produce autonomous underwater vehicles, torpedoes, and underwater counter-measure systems.

Warship Specifications and Capabilities

INS Mahendragiri, named after the Mahendragiri peak in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha, is a multi-mission blue-water warship with a displacement of approximately 6,670 tonnes. It is equipped with indigenous rocket and torpedo launchers, an advanced electronic warfare suite, a comprehensive anti-submarine warfare system, and an integrated combat management system, alongside the capability to launch BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. The frigate is designed for maritime security, power projection, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, search and rescue, and sustained presence missions across the Indian Ocean Region.

Sixth of Seven Project 17A Frigates

Mahendragiri is the sixth of seven Nilgiri-class frigates planned under Project 17A, an advanced successor to the earlier Shivalik-class frigates, sanctioned in 2015 and valued at approximately Rs 27,500 crore in total. The lead ship, INS Nilgiri, was commissioned in January 2025, followed by INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri in August 2025, INS Taragiri in April 2026, and INS Dunagiri in Kolkata on June 21, commissioned in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside two other naval platforms. Mahendragiri was delivered to the Navy on April 30 at MDL, Mumbai, with the programme's seventh and final ship still to follow.

Navy's Role in Regional Maritime Security

Singh also highlighted the Indian Navy's expanding role as what he called a "net security provider" in the Indo-Pacific, citing the Navy's Operation Urja Suraksha, under which it safely escorted 18 merchant vessels carrying cargo worth over Rs 9,000 crore following the outbreak of conflict in West Asia. "This demonstrates that our Navy has emerged not just as a fighting force, but as a strong guardian of India's economic interests," he said.

Rapid Pace of Naval Induction

The Defence Minister noted that the Navy has received six front-line frigates in roughly the past one and a half years, calling it a reflection of India's growing shipbuilding capability. He linked the commissioning to Prime Minister Modi's broader maritime vision, referred to as "MAHA SAGAR" — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — and stressed that India's defence strategy would continue to combine new technology with strong conventional military platforms.