INDIAN NAVY SET TO COMMISSION THREE INDIGENOUS NAVAL PLATFORMS IN KOLKATA

1. At a Glance

• On 21 June 2026, the Indian Navy will commission three indigenously built frontline platforms — Dunagiri (stealth frigate), Sanshodhak (Survey Vessel Large) and Agray (ASW Shallow Water Craft) — at Kolkata, presided over by the Prime Minister [1].
• All three are designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata — a PSU under the Ministry of Defence [1].
• Spans three mission profiles — surface combat, hydrography, and anti-submarine warfare — making it a flagship marker of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in warship building [1][2].

2. Why in the News

• Triple commissioning ceremony at GRSE Kolkata on 21 Jun 2026 chaired by the PM — first time three frontline indigenous platforms of three different classes are commissioned together at a single yard [1].
• All three vessels were delivered on 30 Mar 2026 and being inducted within ~3 months [2][3][4].

3. Background & Evolution

• Project 17A (Nilgiri-class follow-on): 7-ship advanced stealth frigate programme; 4 built by Mazagon Dock (MDL), 3 by GRSE; Dunagiri is the 5th P-17A ship, 2nd P-17A built at GRSE [2].
• Survey Vessel (Large) project: 4-ship class — Sandhayak (commissioned 03 Feb 2024), Nirdeshak (18 Dec 2024), Ikshak (06 Nov 2025), and Sanshodhak is the 4th and last of the class [3].
• ASW-SWC (GRSE) project: 8-ship class of shallow water anti-submarine craft; Agray is the 4th of eight [4].
• Dunagiri name revives the erstwhile INS Dunagiri, a Leander-class frigate (in service 05 May 1977 – 10 Oct 2010, 33 years) [2].

4. Core Static Facts

• Designer: Warship Design Bureau (WDB), Indian Navy [1].
• Builder: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata — Defence PSU under MoD [1].
• Dunagiri (Yard 3023): Project 17A stealth frigate; launched 15 Jul 2022 by Raksha Mantri; delivered 30 Mar 2026; generated 3,000+ jobs; 29 Indian OEMs/MSMEs involved [2].
• Sanshodhak (Yard 3028): Survey Vessel (Large); launched at L&T Kattupalli 13 Jun 2023; delivered 30 Mar 2026; indigenous content >80% by cost [3].
• Agray: 4th ASW Shallow Water Craft; launched 13 Mar 2024 at GRSE Kolkata; delivered 30 Mar 2026; ~77 m length; largest Indian naval warships propelled by waterjets [4][5].
• Agray armament: Lightweight Torpedoes, Indigenous Rocket Launchers, shallow water SONAR [4].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Strategic / Geopolitical:
• Triple capability boost — blue-water combat (Dunagiri), maritime domain awareness via hydrography (Sanshodhak), and littoral/coastal ASW (Agray) [1].

• Counters growing PLA-N submarine activity in IOR; SWC tier strengthens coastal anti-submarine screen.

• Economic / Aatmanirbhar:

• 80% indigenous content in Sanshodhak; Dunagiri alone created 3,000+ jobs, sustained 29 OEMs/MSMEs [2][3].

• Reinforces GRSE Kolkata as East-coast warship hub; aligns with SRIJAN portal / Make-in-India Defence push.

• Scientific / Technological:

• Sanshodhak does deep-water hydrographic survey, oceanographic & geophysical data for defence and civil users [3].

• Agray is the largest Indian waterjet-propelled warship — niche shallow-water tech [4].

• Administrative / Federalism:

• Showcases Defence PSU + private yard collaboration (Sanshodhak launched at L&T Kattupalli, delivered via GRSE) [3].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 03 Feb 2024: INS Sandhayak (1st SVL) commissioned [3].
• 13 Mar 2024: Launch of Agray & Akshay (5th & 6th ASW-SWC) at GRSE [5] — note PIB-stated sequence.
• 18 Dec 2024: INS Nirdeshak (2nd SVL) commissioned [3].
• 06 Nov 2025: INS Ikshak (3rd SVL) commissioned [3].
• 30 Mar 2026: Dunagiri, Sanshodhak, Agray delivered to Navy [2][3][4].
• 21 Jun 2026: Triple commissioning at Kolkata under PM [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Dunagiri is the 5th ship of Project 17A (Nilgiri class) and 2nd P-17A built by GRSE [2].
• Project 17A frigates: total 7 ships — 4 by MDL, 3 by GRSE [2].
• Sanshodhak is the 4th and last Survey Vessel (Large) under the SVL project [3].
• SVL ships in order: Sandhayak, Nirdeshak, Ikshak, Sanshodhak [3].
• Agray is the 4th of eight ASW-SWC built by GRSE [4].
• ASW-SWC ships are ~77 m long, the largest Indian Navy warships using waterjet propulsion [4].
• All three vessels designed by Warship Design Bureau of the Indian Navy [1].
• Builder: GRSE Kolkata, Defence PSU under MoD [1].
• Erstwhile INS Dunagiri was a Leander-class frigate (1977–2010) [2].
• Sanshodhak's indigenous content: >80% by cost [3].
• Agray weapons fit: Lightweight Torpedoes + Indigenous Rocket Launchers + shallow-water SONAR [4].
• Dunagiri launched on 15 July 2022 by then-Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh [2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: Security — indigenisation of technology; defence forces; role of various security agencies.
• GS-II (peripheral): India's maritime diplomacy & IOR posture.
• Possible question stems: 1. "Indigenous warship building has emerged as the cornerstone of India's blue-water ambitions." Discuss with reference to Project 17A and Survey Vessel (Large) programmes. 2. Examine the role of Defence PSU shipyards like GRSE in advancing Aatmanirbhar Bharat in naval platforms. 3. How does the induction of multi-role frigates, hydrographic vessels, and ASW shallow water craft together reflect a balanced naval capability development strategy?

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Project 15B (Visakhapatnam-class destroyers) — parallel indigenous surface combat programme.
• Project 75 / 75I submarines (Scorpène, AIP) — sub-surface arm of indigenisation.
• SAGAR & MAHASAGAR doctrines — India's IOR maritime vision.
• INS Vikrant (IAC-1) — flagship of indigenous naval construction.
• Defence PSUs (GRSE, MDL, HSL, CSL, GSL) — institutional ecosystem.
• National Hydrographic Office, Dehradun — civil-military hydrography link to Sanshodhak.
• Information Fusion Centre-IOR (Gurugram) — maritime domain awareness counterpart.
• DAP-2020 & Positive Indigenisation Lists — policy backbone of Make-in-India defence.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Builder mix-up: Project 17A frigates are split between MDL & GRSE — Dunagiri is GRSE-built, not MDL. Avoid assuming all P-17A come from MDL.
• Class confusion: Project 17A ships are officially Nilgiri-class (2019), distinct from the older Nilgiri-class (Leander derivatives of the 1970s) and from Project 17 Shivalik-class.
• Designer vs builder: Designed by Warship Design Bureau (Indian Navy) — not DRDO or the shipyard [1].
• Sanshodhak ≠ Sandhayak: Sanshodhak is the 4th (last) SVL; Sandhayak was the 1st (commissioned Feb 2024) [3].
• Agray propulsion: Waterjet, not conventional propellers — and these are the largest Indian Navy waterjet vessels, a frequently misstated fact [4].
• ASW-SWC is a shallow-water craft (coastal ASW), not a blue-water corvette or a Kamorta-class ASW corvette (Project 28).