The Indian Navy is preparing to commission its latest indigenously built stealth frigate, Taragiri, in February, marking a significant step in India’s journey towards naval self-reliance and enhanced maritime security. The induction of Taragiri will be the first major warship addition to the fleet this year, strengthening the Navy’s capabilities to safeguard India’s strategic interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a theater of growing geopolitical contestation where China is actively expanding its influence, according to defence officials familiar with the matter.

Taragiri will become the fourth stealth frigate commissioned under the ambitious ₹45,000-crore, seven-ship Project 17A (P-17A), which is designed to modernise and expand the Navy’s surface combatant fleet. The first three ships—Nilgiri, Udaygiri, and Himgiri—were inducted in 2025, while the remaining three ships—Mahendragiri, Dunagiri, and Vindhyagiri—are scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2026. With this phased induction, the Navy is not only enhancing operational readiness but also consolidating India’s warship-building capabilities, a critical component of the country’s broader defence self-reliance goals.

“The Navy inducted 12 warships last year, a major milestone for domestic defence manufacturing, and we are likely to surpass that number in 2026,” said a senior official, underscoring the rapid pace of indigenous shipbuilding. Currently, around 60 warships and submarines are under construction across Indian shipyards, with a goal to achieve full self-reliance in warship production by 2047, coinciding with India’s centenary of independence.

Project 17A represents the next generation of India’s stealth frigates, following the earlier Shivalik-class P-17 frigates. These platforms are a substantial upgrade over their predecessors, featuring advanced weapons systems, sensors, and electronic warfare suites that allow the Indian Navy to dominate the maritime battlespace. The P-17A frigates are built with 75% indigenous content, reflecting the country’s growing capability to design and manufacture complex warships in-house.

Taragiri, along with Nilgiri and Udaygiri, was constructed at the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), a flagship facility for India’s warship production. Himgiri, Dunagiri, and Vindhyagiri are being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata, highlighting the distributed nature of India’s shipbuilding ecosystem. Mahendragiri, like Taragiri, is also under construction at MDL. These state-of-the-art facilities have been critical to ensuring that the Navy’s surface fleet maintains technological parity with regional and global maritime powers.

The P-17A frigates are equipped with a formidable suite of offensive and defensive capabilities. They carry the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which provides both anti-ship and land-attack capabilities with unmatched precision and speed. The warships are also outfitted with the MF-STAR multi-function surveillance radar, Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system, and anti-submarine warfare suites, enabling them to address diverse maritime threats. Additionally, the ships feature integrated electronic warfare systems, advanced sonar, and robust command-and-control infrastructure, making them capable of operating independently or as part of a larger naval task force.

Taragiri has a displacement of 6,670 tonnes, a length of 149 metres, and can achieve a top speed of 28 knots. The frigate has accommodation for 225 personnel, including officers and sailors, and is designed for multi-role operations, ranging from maritime security, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. The stealth features incorporated in the hull and superstructure reduce radar cross-section and enhance survivability in high-threat environments.

The commissioning of Taragiri is particularly significant against the backdrop of India’s strategic imperatives in the Indian Ocean Region. The IOR is increasingly contested, with China expanding its naval footprint through port investments, military cooperation with regional states, and the deployment of advanced warships. India’s P-17A frigates, including Taragiri, will play a pivotal role in securing sea lanes, protecting national maritime interests, and maintaining a rules-based order in the region. These ships enhance India’s deterrence capabilities and allow for rapid response to evolving threats in the maritime domain.

In addition to operational benefits, Project 17A underscores India’s industrial and technological self-reliance. The successful design, construction, and induction of these frigates have involved domestic shipyards, defence research organisations, and multiple technology partners across India. Indigenous content encompasses weapon systems, sensors, propulsion systems, and hull design, thereby reducing dependency on foreign suppliers and boosting domestic defence manufacturing under the “Make in India” initiative.

Officials note that the P-17A program also demonstrates India’s commitment to modernisation and capability enhancement of its fleet while simultaneously creating high-skilled jobs in shipbuilding, defence technology, and associated supply chains. The synergy between MDL, GRSE, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and private sector vendors has been instrumental in achieving technological milestones and maintaining project timelines despite complex design challenges and operational requirements.

The commissioning of Taragiri in February is expected to be accompanied by a formal ceremony at the naval dockyard, attended by senior officials from the Indian Navy, Ministry of Defence, and representatives from the shipbuilding industry. Upon induction, Taragiri will be deployed to the Eastern Naval Command to strengthen India’s presence in the strategically important Bay of Bengal and surrounding maritime zones, providing both deterrence and rapid response capabilities.

Looking ahead, the induction of the remaining three P-17A frigates—Mahendragiri, Dunagiri, and Vindhyagiri—will further expand the Indian Navy’s stealth frigate fleet to seven, providing a significant boost to its operational capabilities. The cumulative impact of these warships, along with other surface combatants, submarines, and aircraft, will enhance India’s ability to project power, protect sea lines of communication, and contribute to regional security architecture.

In conclusion, the commissioning of Taragiri is a major milestone in the Indian Navy’s modernisation plan and India’s strategic maritime posture. With its advanced weapons systems, stealth features, and high indigenous content, the frigate will strengthen India’s ability to operate effectively in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond. Project 17A exemplifies the nation’s growing self-reliance in defence manufacturing, while also addressing critical security needs in a dynamic regional environment. Taragiri’s induction, along with the other six ships of Project 17A, represents a key step toward achieving a fully modern, capable, and self-reliant Indian Navy by 2047.

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