![](https://bharatshakti.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/LT-BSI-Defence.gif")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday commissioned three indigenously built frontline naval platforms, INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray, in Kolkata, declaring that India no longer wants to remain merely a buyer of military hardware but is steadily emerging as a manufacturer and exporter of advanced defence systems.
Addressing the commissioning ceremony, Modi said the induction of the three vessels reflected India’s expanding capabilities in warship construction and its growing confidence in indigenous defence production.
“India no longer wants to remain merely a buyer in the defence sector. The strength of a nation’s military cannot be measured by its dependence on global markets but by its ability to become self-reliant. India seeks to become a producer and a manufacturer because nations that manufacture become decisive players on the global stage,” the Prime Minister said.
The tri-commissioning ceremony marked another milestone in India’s naval modernisation drive and came just 17 months after the country’s first simultaneous induction of three naval combatants in Mumbai.
Modi said the three platforms symbolised India’s commitment to indigenous design, manufacturing and technological innovation.
The Prime Minister noted that more than 40 indigenously built warships and submarines have joined the Navy in recent years, while another 45 major naval platforms are currently under construction.
“These are not just statistics. They reflect India’s industrial capability and the direction in which the country is moving,” he observed.
Also Read: Indian Navy to Commission Three Indigenous Warships in Kolkata on June 21
The three ships, designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau in collaboration with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and built at GRSE’s Kolkata shipyard, incorporate more than 75 per cent indigenous content and involved the participation of over 200 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The most powerful among the three, INS Dunagiri, is the fifth stealth frigate under the Project 17A programme and is equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system and advanced sensors, substantially enhancing the Navy’s long-range combat capabilities.
INS Sanshodhak, the fourth Survey Vessel (Large), is designed to undertake hydrographic, oceanographic and geophysical surveys in coastal and deep-sea waters. Equipped with Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), the vessel will support seabed mapping, navigational safety and marine research.
Its commissioning coincided with World Hydrography Day, a linkage Modi described as particularly significant.
“No country can become a major power without strong maritime capabilities. Development, security and prosperity are deeply connected with the oceans. Global trade, undersea data networks, critical minerals, deep-sea resources and future energy sources are all linked to the maritime domain,” he said.
The third platform, INS Agray, is the fourth vessel in the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft programme. Designed for operations in littoral waters, it is equipped with indigenous rocket launchers, lightweight torpedoes, and advanced shallow-water sonar systems to detect and neutralise underwater threats near India’s coastline.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said the tri-commissioning demonstrated that India’s warship-building capability was acquiring “new momentum in technology, self-reliance and self-confidence.”
He said the induction of the three ships would significantly strengthen the Navy’s ability to safeguard India’s maritime interests and sustain operations across an increasingly contested maritime environment.
The commissioning comes amid India’s broader efforts to deepen defence indigenisation under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and position itself as a credible supplier of military platforms and technologies to friendly foreign countries.
Team BharatShakti
