Indian Navy plans a near 1 lakh crore indigenous warship programme
Three programmes would add destroyers, stealth frigates and large surface combatants
The Indian Navy is preparing to launch three major indigenous warship programmes worth nearly 1 lakh crore rupees, marking one of the country's largest investments in naval modernisation and domestic shipbuilding. The projects are said to be undergoing internal consultation and planning before entering the formal acquisition process, and once approved would significantly strengthen the surface fleet and enhance capabilities in the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific.
The largest of the proposed programmes would see four next-generation guided-missile destroyers built at an estimated cost of 50,000 crore rupees, incorporating advanced sensors, weapons, electronic warfare systems and enhanced air defence and building on earlier destroyer classes. A second programme envisages six advanced stealth frigates valued at about 40,000 crore rupees, expected to be split equally between two Indian shipyards each constructing three vessels.
The most ambitious proposal aims to develop six next-generation large surface combatants displacing 14,000 to 15,000 tonnes, with enhanced strike capability, advanced air and missile defence, sophisticated command and control, and greater endurance for long-range deployments. The proposed projects are aligned with the government's self-reliance initiative and are expected to strengthen the country's indigenous shipbuilding base while helping the navy retain a qualitative edge amid evolving maritime security challenges.
