India’s power in the Indian Ocean has increased further. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday inducted the state-of-the-art Project 17A multi-mission stealth frigates Udaygiri and Himgiri into the Navy at the Visakhapatnam base.
The Defense Ministry said that this is the first time that two frontline surface combat ships built in two different shipyards were commissioned simultaneously. The ministry said, the inclusion of these warships will increase the combat readiness of the Navy and confirm India’s resolve to achieve self-reliance in warship design and construction. This will strengthen the country’s ability to protect its maritime interests in the Indian Ocean region.
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi said that in this era of uncertainties and competition, the Indian Navy’s ability to provide heavy force at sea is a credible deterrent against India’s enemies. We demonstrated this well during Operation Sindoor. The quick deployment of our units and aggressive stance virtually took the Pakistani Navy captive and forced them to request us to stop kinetic action. A few days ago, from the deck of INS Vikrant, the Defense Minister assured the Indian Navy that Operation Sindoor is not over and if required again, it is likely that it will be initiated by the Indian Navy.
#WATCH | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi says, “Modern and state-of-the-art platforms like Udaygiri and Himgiri, make us more capable of giving an opening knock-out punch to the enemy. On this occassion, I would like to remember… pic.twitter.com/uCCuDNoJ2a
— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2025
India’s hold will be strengthened in the Indian Ocean
According to the Navy, this warship is an opportunity to show the strength of India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, the inclusion of these ships will further strengthen India’s hold in the Indian Ocean. With the arrival of these two warships, India will not only be able to monitor the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, but will also be able to keep an eye on every movement of Chinese ships till the Strait of Malacca.
This is also a direct message to China and Pakistan in the Indian Ocean. China has been increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean in recent years, especially through ports on Sri Lanka, Maldives and African coasts. At the same time, China’s naval activities at Gwadar Port in Pakistan have been a matter of concern for India.