The Indian Navy has moved ahead with its plan to acquire seven next-generation stealth frigates under Project 17B, opening a competitive procurement process for some of India’s major shipbuilding companies. The Navy has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the warships, with the overall programme estimated to involve an investment of around ₹70,000 crore.
The RFP has been issued to eligible Category A Indian shipyards, bringing Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) into the bidding process. The companies will compete for the opportunity to construct the seven frigates as the Navy advances its long-term fleet modernisation plans.
The procurement approach is significant because Project 17B is being pursued through competitive bidding, rather than simply assigning the programme through the nomination route. The change creates an opportunity for multiple domestic shipyards to compete on their ability to meet the Navy’s technical, construction and commercial requirements. The final contract value will depend on the outcome of the bidding and subsequent negotiations.
Project 17B is expected to serve as the successor to the Project 17A Nilgiri-class frigate programme. The new warships are being planned around a modern stealth-oriented design and are expected to combine air-defence, anti-surface and anti-submarine capabilities. Their role will be to provide the Indian Navy with flexible platforms capable of operating across a range of maritime missions.
The new frigates are expected to incorporate improvements in sensors, electronic warfare systems, weapons and other onboard technologies compared with earlier generations of Indian-built frigates. Their design is also expected to emphasise reduced radar visibility, helping improve survivability in contested maritime environments.
The Project 17B programme builds on the experience gained by India’s shipbuilding industry through earlier indigenous warship programmes. The Project 17A programme, which involves seven Nilgiri-class frigates, has already involved both MDL and GRSE in construction. Experience from these projects is expected to contribute to the country’s ability to undertake another large-scale series of advanced surface combatants.
The planned frigates are expected to be equipped with sophisticated weapon and sensor suites. Reports have associated the programme with capabilities such as BrahMos missiles, advanced air-defence systems and indigenous electronic warfare technologies, although the precise equipment fit will ultimately depend on the final design and procurement process.
The requirement for seven Project 17B frigates had already progressed through the defence acquisition system, with the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the programme granted in 2024. The latest RFP represents the next major stage, allowing shipyards to formally compete for the construction requirement.
For India’s domestic defence manufacturing sector, the programme could provide a substantial long-term workload for the country’s leading naval shipbuilders. It also comes as the Navy continues to focus on increasing indigenous content and strengthening domestic capacity for the construction of complex warships.
The competitive bidding process will now determine how the participating shipyards respond to the Navy’s requirements. Once technical and commercial evaluations are completed, the procurement process is expected to move towards selection and contract finalisation for the seven Project 17B frigates.
The latest move marks another step in India’s effort to expand its indigenous naval shipbuilding capabilities while preparing the Indian Navy’s surface fleet for future operational requirements.
