Indian Navy to induct Mahendragiri: What the new ‘combat-ready’ stealth frigate will bring to the fleet
The commissioning ceremony will be attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who has described the warship as “combat ready” and capable of safeguarding India’s maritime interests while reinforcing the country’s commitment to a secure Indo-Pacific.
Built under Project 17A, INS Mahendragiri is the sixth and one of the most advanced vessels in the Nilgiri-class of stealth frigates. Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai, the warship was delivered to the Navy on April 30.
With more than 75 per cent indigenous content, the vessel is also a significant milestone for the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, showcasing India’s growing ability to design, build and equip sophisticated naval combat platforms domestically.
What makes INS Mahendragiri a ‘combat-ready’ stealth frigate?
INS Mahendragiri has been built as a multi-role frontline warship capable of operating across the full spectrum of naval warfare.
According to the Indian Navy, the frigate carries an advanced suite of indigenous and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems and an integrated combat management system.
The vessel is designed to undertake anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, making it capable of engaging threats in the air, on the sea surface and underwater.The warship also incorporates advanced stealth features that reduce its radar signature, making it significantly harder for adversaries to detect and track. Enhanced survivability measures and a high degree of onboard automation further improve operational efficiency while reducing crew workload during combat missions.
Powering the frigate is a modern Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, enabling high-speed operations as well as long-endurance deployments across a wide range of maritime missions.
Beyond combat, INS Mahendragiri can also be deployed for maritime security operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), search and rescue missions, and sustained naval presence operations in distant waters.
Why Mahendragiri matters for the Indian Navy
The induction of INS Mahendragiri comes at a time when India is steadily expanding its naval capabilities amid growing strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific and increasing activity by extra-regional powers in the Indian Ocean.
Speaking ahead of the commissioning, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the indigenous warship is a testament to India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
“This indigenously designed and constructed state-of-the-art warship is a testament to our #AatmanirbharBharat vision and the incredible capabilities of our domestic defence industries and MSMEs. Mahendragiri is combat ready to safeguard India’s maritime interests and strengthen our resolve for a secure Indo-Pacific,” he said in a post on X.
Addressing naval personnel in Visakhapatnam on Friday evening, Singh underlined the growing importance of maritime security, saying India remains the primary guarantor of peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region.
“There are conflicts that are fought without a formal declaration of war. The adversary of tomorrow may not look like the adversary of the past,” he said, while urging the armed forces to continuously upgrade their skills and adapt to emerging technologies.
He also highlighted the increasing geopolitical competition in the region and the expanding presence of extra-regional powers, saying the Indian Navy is playing a crucial role in protecting India’s maritime borders, securing vital sea lanes and safeguarding national interests.
“The region is our courtyard, and securing the courtyard is our responsibility,” Singh said.
A major upgrade over earlier frigates
Mahendragiri belongs to the Project 17A (Nilgiri-class) programme, which represents the next generation of Indian stealth frigates and is an evolution of the earlier Shivalik-class (Project 17) warships.
Compared with the previous class, the P17A frigates feature improved stealth characteristics, more advanced weapon and sensor suites, greater automation and enhanced survivability, enabling them to operate more effectively in high-threat environments.
The Navy describes the ships as mission-ready combat platforms capable of sustained deployments across diverse operational scenarios.
Mahendragiri also follows the induction of several sister ships into service over the past two years.
INS Nilgiri, the lead ship of the class, was commissioned in January 2025, followed by INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri in August 2025, INS Taragiri in April this year and INS Dunagiri in June.
