Outlook Explains | Why Is India Spending Thousands Of Crores On Three New Navy Ships?

Amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, India has commissioned three strategically important naval vessels. This significant investment reflects New Delhi’s focus on enhancing maritime domain awareness, strengthening coastal defence, and building a well-balanced blue-water navy capable of addressing both conventional and non-traditional threats.

What Are The Three New Ships?

The three new platforms are INS Dunagiri, INS Agray, and INS Sanshodhak.

• INS Dunagiri is an advanced stealth frigate under Project 17A.

• INS Agray is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) shallow water craft.

• INS Sanshodhak is a large survey vessel designed for oceanographic and hydrographic missions.

These ships were built in Indian shipyards, showcasing the country’s growing self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Why Each Has A Different Job

Each vessel has been designed for a specialised role, making them complementary assets for the Indian Navy:

• INS Dunagiri (Stealth Frigate) is a multi-role combat ship equipped with advanced radars, long-range missiles, and electronic warfare systems. It will primarily focus on air defence, surface warfare, and escort duties for high-value assets like aircraft carriers.

• INS Agray (ASW Shallow Water Craft) is optimised for anti-submarine operations in coastal and shallow waters. It is equipped with torpedoes, depth charges, and advanced sonar systems, making it highly effective in protecting India’s coastline from underwater threats.

• INS Sanshodhak (Survey Vessel) is tasked with oceanographic surveys, mapping of the seabed, and gathering critical hydrographic data. This information is vital for safe navigation, submarine operations, and resource exploration within India’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

How They Protect India's Coastline

Together, these three platforms significantly enhance India’s ability to monitor and secure its 7,500-km coastline and extensive EEZ. The stealth frigate provides credible deterrence and offensive capability, the ASW craft offers specialised protection against submarine incursions in coastal areas, while the survey vessel ensures better understanding of the underwater domain. This combination improves maritime domain awareness, enables faster response to threats such as piracy, smuggling, illegal fishing, and hostile naval activity, and supports humanitarian assistance during disasters.

Why China Is Part Of The Story

China’s rapidly expanding naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region is a key driver behind these acquisitions. Beijing’s increasing deployments of submarines, research vessels, and warships near Indian waters, along with its infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, have raised legitimate security concerns. These three Indian ships are part of a broader strategy to maintain a favourable maritime balance, safeguard critical sea lanes, and prevent any single power from dominating the region.

How Much They Cost

The three vessels have been built at a combined cost of several thousand crores. While exact figures vary across reports, Project 17A frigates like INS Dunagiri are estimated to cost around ₹4,000–5,000 crore each, with the ASW craft and survey vessel adding significant additional expenditure. These investments are part of India’s long-term naval modernisation programme aimed at building a 200+ ship navy in the coming decades.

Why India Is Building Them At Home

A major highlight of these projects is their indigenous construction at Indian shipyards. Building these vessels domestically not only creates thousands of skilled jobs but also fosters technology absorption, supply chain development, and self-reliance in critical defence technologies. This aligns with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and reduces dependence on foreign suppliers, ensuring better maintenance, upgrades, and operational readiness in the long run.

These three platforms represent a balanced approach — combining firepower, specialised coastal defence, and critical support capabilities — to secure India’s maritime interests in an increasingly contested region.