Historic 2026! Why Indian Navy commissioning 19 warships including INS Udaygiri, Nistar-class DSV this year is special

The Indian Navy is gearing up for the largest annual expansion in its history. In 2026, the Navy is reportedly set to commission 19 warships, marking the biggest single-year addition ever.

India is set to increase the number of Nilgiri-class multi-role stealth frigates as its naval forces hit the "peak of expansion" this year. The lead ship of this class was inducted into service in January 2025. Also being commissioned this year are INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri, which entered service in August 2025. At least two more ships of this class are expected to join the Navy this year, Lokmat said in a story.

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Officially designated as Project 17A, the Nilgiri-class boasts improved survivability, sea keeping and ship manoeuvrability. The guided-missile frigates will be equipped with advanced indigenous weapons and sensors. As per Naval Technology, the Nilgiri-class will have a length of 149m, a width of 17.8m and a draught of 5.22m. The displacement of the vessel will be 6,670t and the frigate will have the capacity to accommodate 226 personnel.

The list also includes an Ikshak-class survey ship and a Nistar-class Diving Support Vessel, the report said. The Ikshak-class vessels are designed to replace the ageing Sandhayak-class ships and are capable of carrying four Survey Motor Boats (SMBs) for shallow-water operations where the mother ship cannot go. The Nistar-class DSVs, meanwhile, are specifically engineered to support submarine rescue and complex deep-sea saturation diving operations—a capability only select navies across the globe possess.

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Integrated construction methods have played a crucial role in enabling commissioning on such a large scale, with a ship’s hull, superstructure and internal systems built in 250-tonne blocks and then assembled under this process. These blocks are designed to allow seamless welding and fitting of cables and piping.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used to create construction sequences, covering everything from material sourcing to production timelines. With the use of new design software, AI and modern construction techniques, Indian shipyards are now building ships in about six years, compared to eight to nine years earlier. The software also predicts machinery layouts, equipment placement and fluid dynamics.

In 2025, the Indian Navy had reportedly commissioned 14 vessels.