Indian Navy Charts ₹1 Lakh Crore Warship Build-Up With Projects 15C, 17B, 18A

The Indian Navy has charted an ambitious warship construction programme spanning three major indigenous ship projects valued at approximately one lakh crore rupees, consolidating New Delhi’s push towards a self-reliant maritime force capable of sustained operations across the Indian Ocean and beyond.

Projects 15C, 17B, and 18A represent the Navy’s multi-platform modernisation roadmap, each designed to address distinct operational gaps and extend the service life of India’s surface combatant fleet into the 2040s and 2050s.

Project 15C is the scheduled follow-on to the Visakhapatnam-class guided-missile destroyers currently under construction at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. The Visakhapatnam-class itself evolved from the Kolkata-class design, introducing indigenous systems integration and advanced combat management capabilities. Project 15C is expected to incorporate lessons learned from the first-of-class and mature the design further, potentially adding more efficient power generation, enhanced automation, and upgraded sensor suites aligned with emerging threat environments in the Indo-Pacific.

Project 17B concerns the next iteration of frigate construction beyond the Nilgiri-class currently building at MDL and Cochin Shipyard. These medium-sized frigates form the backbone of India’s anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, with Project 17B expected to introduce stealth enhancements, modern phased-array radar architecture, and improved propulsion efficiency compared to preceding classes.

Project 18A encompasses fast-attack craft and corvettes, smaller but highly manoeuvrable platforms suited for coastal operations, anti-piracy missions, and rapid-response tasks. These vessels complement the Navy’s ability to maintain persistent presence across territorial waters and contested maritime zones.

The one-lakh-crore valuation underscores the fiscal commitment required to sustain indigenous warship production over two decades. This scale of investment aligns with India’s broader Make in India initiative, ensuring continuity of employment at MDL, Cochin Shipyard, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata, while building domestic expertise in advanced shipbuilding techniques, combat system integration, and naval architecture.

India’s indigenous warship production capacity has expanded significantly since the Kolkata-class programme. Each successive class incorporates greater indigenous content, from engines and gearboxes sourced from Indian suppliers to combat management systems developed by DRDO’s Pune-based Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL).

These three projects position the Navy to maintain a balanced fleet of approximately 170 major combat vessels by 2047, a target anchored in long-term maritime security planning and India’s strategic role as an Indo-Pacific stabiliser. The staggered build schedule allows dockyards to maintain workforce continuity while managing capital outlay across multiple budget cycles.