The Indian Navy is preparing to launch three major indigenous warship programmes worth nearly ₹1 lakh crore, marking one of the country’s largest investments in naval modernisation and domestic shipbuilding.
According to sources, the projects are currently undergoing internal consultations and planning before entering the formal defence acquisition process. Once approved, they will significantly strengthen the Navy’s surface fleet and enhance India’s maritime capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the wider Indo-Pacific.
The largest of the proposed programmes is Project 15C, under which the Navy plans to build four next-generation guided-missile destroyers at an estimated cost of ₹50,000 crore. The new warships are expected to incorporate advanced sensors, weapons, electronic warfare systems and enhanced air defence capabilities, building upon the technologies fielded in the Kolkata-class (Project 15A) and Visakhapatnam-class (Project 15B) destroyers.
The second programme, Project 17B, envisages the construction of six advanced stealth frigates valued at approximately ₹40,000 crore. The project is expected to be shared equally between Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), with each shipyard constructing three frigates.
The most ambitious proposal is Project 18A, which aims to develop six next-generation large surface combatants displacing 14,000–15,000 tonnes. These warships are expected to feature enhanced strike capability, advanced air and missile defence systems, sophisticated command and control architecture, and greater endurance for long-range deployments.
The proposed projects are aligned with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and are expected to further strengthen India’s indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem while ensuring the Indian Navy retains a qualitative edge amid evolving maritime security challenges.
