Navy to commission 19 warships this year

Sources said the production tempo was unprecedented in history and demonstrated the maturity of the domestic shipbuilding ecosystem.

2026 would be the peak of expansion for the Navy. This would include the addition of more Nilgiri class multi-role stealth frigates. The lead ship was commissioned in January 2025, followed by two more — INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri — in August 2025. At least two more are expected to be commissioned this year.

Also on the list are the survey vessel of the Ikshak class and the diving support vessel of the Nistar class. The sheer number of commissioning of new ships is aided by a new "integrated construction", which entails making various parts of a ship, particularly its hull, superstructure and internal systems in blocks of 250 tonnes each.

These blocks are built with precision to allow cables and pipes to pass through when two sets of blocks are welded together. Artificial intelligence provides a "sequences" of putting together a warship, including sourcing of material and production timelines.

Indian shipyards now produce a ship in six years, down from the earlier period of eight to nine years. This is helped by new design software, the use of artificial intelligence and modern construction techniques. The equipment, layout of machinery and fluid dynamics are predicted by software.

The Ministry of Defence had opted for the "integrated construction" of warships 10 to 12 years ago.

India's strategic objectives include countering Chinese naval expansion, maintaining freedom of navigation across critical sea lanes, supporting regional partners in the Quad and ASEAN and projecting power across the Indo-Pacific.

The fleet expansion of the Navy, however, does not match up to China. Beijing does not publicly release numbers of new ships, but earlier the US had estimated that Beijing would have 395 ships and submarines by 2025-end. This is an increase of almost 25 platforms since the last annual estimate of 370.

A report, “China naval modernisation: Implications for US navy capabilities — Background and issues for US Congress”, in May 2025 said, “The overall battle force of China’s navy is expected to grow to 395 ships by 2025 and to 435 ships by 2030.”