Mahe makes waves: India bolsters coastal defence with INS Mahe

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Chandigarh, Updated At : 08:32 PM Nov 24, 2025 IST

: Vice Admiral Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi other naval officers pose for a photograph during the commissioning ceremony of INS MAHE, an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Monday. (ANI Photo)

INS Mahe, commissioned by the Indian Navy on Monday, marks a significant leap in India’s littoral warfare capabilities. As the first vessel of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), it strengthens coastal defence at a time when underwater threats in the Indian Ocean Region are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The commissioning ceremony underscored the tri-service emphasis on indigenous maritime power projection.

Designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), INS Mahe is a product of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in naval shipbuilding. With over 80 per cent indigenous content, the ship reflects India’s maturing ecosystem in hull design, propulsion, sensors and weapons integration. Though compact, it is engineered for high agility and precision — attributes essential for effective shallow-water ASW operations near the coast, harbours and island territories.

Equipped with lightweight torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets, advanced sonar suites and high-manoeuvrability propulsion systems, INS Mahe is built to detect, track and neutralise submarines operating close to shore. It will also play key roles in coastal patrol, escort missions and securing vital sea lanes that feed India’s economic lifelines.

Symbolism reinforces capability: named after the historic coastal enclave of Mahe on the Malabar Coast, the ship’s crest depicts the ‘Urumi’, the flexible sword of Kalarippayattu — signifying fluidity, speed and lethal accuracy.

For UPSC, INS Mahe exemplifies:

Indigenisation in defence manufacturing

Strengthening of coastal and littoral warfare assets

Integration of shipbuilding, innovation and national security strategy

INS Mahe represents India’s steady transition from a buyer to a builder of frontline naval defence platforms

Mahe makes waves: India bolsters coastal defence with INS Mahe

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