Shipbuilding for defence is one of the major pillars of the Indian maritime sector. And this week, our defence shipbuilding story got a new high-water mark. On March 30, 2026, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata handed over three frontline naval platforms to the Indian Navy in a single day.
They were stealth frigate Dunagiri, survey vessel Sanshodhak and anti-submarine craft Agray, a triple delivery that took GRSE’s cumulative tally to 118 warships built, including 80 for the Indian Navy.
For more maritime and shipping news and views, visit: Maritime, Ahoy!
Dunagiri (Yard 3023) is the fifth ship of the Nilgiri Class under Project 17A, and the second such frigate built at GRSE. The name itself carries history. It is a reincarnation of the erstwhile INS Dunagiri, a Leander-class frigate that served the Indian Navy for 33 years from 1977 to 2010.
The new Dunagiri is a generational leap ahead of its predecessor, according to the defence ministry.
Powered by a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system driving a Controllable Pitch Propeller on each shaft, it carries a formidable weapons suite: BrahMos supersonic missiles, MFSTAR radar, the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) complex, a 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount, 30mm and 12.7mm close-in weapons systems, and torpedoes and rockets for anti-submarine warfare. With 75 per cent indigenous content, its construction involved over 200 MSMEs and directly employed approximately 4,000 people, stated the Centre.
Notably, lessons from building the first four P17A ships compressed Dunagiri's build period to just 80 months, down from 93 months for the first-of-class Nilgiri, revealed the ministry.
Agray, the fourth of eight ASW SWCs being built by GRSE, will now be among the Navy’s answer to underwater threats in shallow coastal waters. At approximately 77 metres, it is the largest Indian naval warship propelled by waterjets. This is said to give it exceptional manoeuvrability in confined waters. Armed with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous rocket launchers, and a shallow-water SONAR, it carries over 80 per cent indigenous content. The vessel revives the legacy of the erstwhile INS Agray, a Patrol Vessel decommissioned in 2017.
Historic Delivery of “Triplets”: GRSE Hands Over three Warships to Indian Navy
— GRSE - Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (@OfficialGRSE) March 31, 2026
Kolkata, March 30, 2026: In a significant milestone for indigenous defence manufacturing, and in alignment with the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, Garden Reach Shipbuilders &… pic.twitter.com/layHKsHMMD
Sanshodhak, the fourth and final Survey Vessel (Large) of its class, was designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built at GRSE. It brings precision hydrographic and oceanographic survey capability to the Naval fleet. essential for charting India's coastline, ports and maritime limits for both naval and civilian use.
All three ships were designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, cementing the Navy’s end-to-end ownership of the indigenous warship enterprise.
