Indian Navy to Commission Udaygiri and Himgiri

In a significant development for India’s maritime defence capabilities, the Indian Navy is set to commission two advanced Project 17A stealth frigates—INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri—on 26 August 2025 at Naval Base, Visakhapatnam. This unique dual commissioning, overseen by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, marks the first time two major frontline surface combatants constructed at different Indian shipyards will be inducted simultaneously.

Project 17A: Stealth and Strength Combined

Successor to Shivalik-Class Frigates

INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri are part of the Project 17A series, the advanced successors of the Project 17 (Shivalik-class) stealth frigates. These new warships represent a leap in naval design and combat capability, built to undertake multi-mission operations in Blue Water conditions—a term that refers to the capability of navies to operate globally across deep oceans.

Enhanced Features and Capabilities

Both vessels are equipped with,

• Enhanced stealth design to reduce radar signature.
• Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for centralized monitoring.
• CODOG (Combined Diesel or Gas) propulsion system for high performance.
• Advanced weapons and sensor suites developed indigenously.
• With about 75% indigenous content, the frigates reflect the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) in defence production and strengthen India’s strategic autonomy.

Udaygiri and Himgiri: Shipbuilding Excellence

Built at Premier Indian Shipyards

• INS Udaygiri was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL), Mumbai.
• INS Himgiri was constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• This collaboration highlights the synergy between India’s major defence shipyards, and showcases the modular construction approach that significantly reduced delivery time. Notably, Udaygiri is the fastest ship in her class to be delivered post-launch, a testament to India’s maturing naval production ecosystem.

Honouring Naval Legacy

Reviving Illustrious Names

Both ships are named after distinguished predecessors,

• INS Udaygiri (F35) and INS Himgiri (F34) served the Indian Navy with distinction for over three decades before their decommissioning.
• By reviving these names, the Indian Navy pays tribute to its past while symbolically advancing its future capability.

Design Milestone and Indigenous Innovation

100th Warship by Warship Design Bureau

INS Udaygiri is particularly notable as the 100th warship designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB), marking a major milestone in five decades of indigenous naval design. The in-house expertise developed over the years has positioned India among nations capable of designing, building, and operating complex warships independently.

The construction also saw the active participation of hundreds of Indian MSMEs, reinforcing the Make in India and defence manufacturing ecosystem.

Strategic Significance for Eastern Seaboard

Strengthening the Eastern Fleet

Post-commissioning, both Udaygiri and Himgiri will be inducted into the Eastern Fleet, enhancing India’s maritime readiness and surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This move also highlights the growing strategic focus on India’s eastern seaboard amid evolving regional security dynamics.