KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday commissioned three indigenously designed and built naval vessels — INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray — at the Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata, highlighting India's push for maritime strength and defence self-reliance under the Make in India initiative.
Addressing the ceremony, Modi said maritime power would play a defining role in shaping the global balance of power in the coming decades. "Nobody can ignore the importance of maritime power. No nation can become a great power without it. Oceans are linked to security, prosperity and development,” he said.
Referring to India's growing indigenous defence capabilities, Modi said, "When we presented INS Vikrant to the nation, we announced India’s self-sufficiency in maritime power to the world. Today, INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray add speed to that journey."
Stressing the need for self-reliance in defence production, he said, "India no longer wants to be a buyer in the international defence sector. India wants to be a manufacturer. The day we become a manufacturer, we will also be the decider."
He said more than 40 naval ships have been produced in recent years, while 45 naval platforms are currently under construction.
INS Dunagiri, the fifth Project 17A stealth frigate and the second of its class built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), is equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles and advanced combat management systems.
INS Agray, the fifth vessel under the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft programme, is equipped with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous anti-submarine rocket launchers and advanced sonar systems for operations in coastal waters.
INS Sanshodhak, the fourth and final vessel of the Sandhayak-class survey ship programme, is equipped with autonomous and remotely operated underwater systems for seabed mapping, hydrographic surveys and navigational charting.
The three vessels are expected to strengthen India's capabilities in surface warfare, anti-submarine operations and maritime domain awareness, while reinforcing the country's focus on indigenous defence production and maritime security.