MUMBAI, India — On Wednesday, India’s navy launched a submarine, destroyer, and frigate simultaneously from a state-run shipyard. This event highlights the significance of safeguarding the Indian Ocean region, a route through which 95% of India’s trade flows, particularly in the context of a heightened Chinese presence in the area.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh remarked on the shifting importance of the oceanic geopolitical landscape, asserting that the Indian Ocean has become a center of international power rivalry. He emphasized, “India is giving the biggest importance to making its navy powerful to protect its interests.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that the commissioning of these three major naval combatants represents a major advancement in India’s goal of becoming a global leader in defense manufacturing and maritime security. The vessels were commissioned at the state-run Mazagon dockyard in Mumbai.
The situation in the Indian Ocean is reportedly challenging, with the Chinese navy—India’s main rival—growing exponentially. Defense analyst Rahul Bedi stated that the INS Vagsheer submarine is the sixth in the French license-built Kalvari (Scorpene)-class diesel-electric submarines. It aims to replace aging underwater platforms and fill significant capability gaps. Current reports indicate that India possesses a total of 16 submarines.
Bedi further remarked that the P75 Scorpene submarine project is indicative of India’s advancing capabilities in submarine construction, particularly through collaboration with the Naval Group of France. India’s defense ministry is set to finalize a deal for three additional Scorpene submarines, which will be constructed in India, during Modi’s anticipated visit to Paris next month for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. However, the first of these new submarines may not be commissioned until 2031.
In 2022, India commissioned its first home-built aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, to counter China’s growing navy and further enhance its indigenous shipbuilding capabilities. The name “Vikrant” translates to “powerful” or “courageous” in Sanskrit, marking it as India’s second operational aircraft carrier, alongside the Soviet-era INS Vikramaditya, which was purchased from Russia in 2004 to strengthen defense in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
Ashok Sharma reported from New Delhi.