Indian Navy to Commission INS Dunagiri, INS Agray, INS Sanshodhak in Kolkata

The Indian Navy will commission three warships in Kolkata this week, according to reports. The trio includes INS Dunagiri, INS Agray, and INS Sanshodhak, marking a significant addition to the service’s operational fleet across multiple vessel classes.

INS Dunagiri is a Sahyadri-class frigate, the third and final ship of this indigenously designed and built class. The Sahyadri-class represents a major milestone in India’s naval self-reliance, with the lead ship commissioned in 2010. These 3,900-tonne guided-missile frigates are equipped with supersonic Brahmos anti-ship missiles, long-range surface-to-air missiles, and advanced combat management systems developed by DRDO and India’s defence industry.

The Sahyadri-class platform combines capabilities for anti-surface, anti-air, and anti-submarine warfare. INS Dunagiri’s induction will complete this class and further consolidate the Indian Navy’s reach in the Indian Ocean Region, where the service operates across vast maritime zones spanning over 2 million square nautical miles.

INS Agray belongs to the Kamorta-class of anti-submarine corvettes, small and agile vessels optimised for shallow-water operations. These 1,400-tonne ships carry advanced hull-mounted sonar, towed-array sonar, and anti-submarine torpedoes. The Kamorta-class was conceived to address India’s coastal security and submarine-interdiction requirements in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.

INS Sanshodhak is a hydrographic survey vessel, a critical capability for the Navy’s maritime domain awareness mission. Survey vessels map coastlines, harbour approaches, and near-shore waters to update nautical charts and support naval operations in shallow and congested areas. This vessel strengthens India’s ability to conduct independent hydrographic surveys across its exclusive economic zone.

The commissioning of these three vessels underscores India’s commitment to building its naval capabilities through domestic design and construction. Both Sahyadri and Kamorta-class ships were developed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited under indigenous programmes, reducing dependence on foreign platforms and building marine engineering expertise within India’s shipyards.

India’s Navy operates across the Indian Ocean, the Andaman Sea, and into the Pacific, requiring sustained modernisation and new vessel additions to maintain operational tempo and deter regional security challenges. These commissionings align with the service’s broader shipbuilding roadmap, which includes further Kamorta-class corvettes, Project 75 submarine variants, and next-generation stealth frigates currently under development.