The Indian Navy will commission its sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate, Mahendragiri (F38), at Visakhapatnam on July 11, 2026. The ship takes its name from the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, and the Navy says it reflects resilience, strength and resolve. No Indian naval warship has carried this name before, so Mahendragiri is one of a kind. She’s now set to build her own legacy and add a new chapter to the country’s maritime history.
Built at Home, By Design
Mahendragiri was designed by the Indian Navy’s own Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. As the sixth ship in the Project 17A class, she reflects how far India’s warship design and construction has come on its own steam.
She comes with stealth features, better survivability, a reduced radar signature and a high level of automation. Power comes from a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, which lets her run at high speed while still holding endurance across a full range of maritime missions.
Over 75 Percent Indigenous
More than 75 percent of Mahendragiri’s content was built in India, making her a solid example of the Government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat push. Her construction pulled in a wide network of Indian industries, including many Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), creating jobs along the way and adding depth to the country’s defence industrial base.
The frigate carries an advanced mix of indigenous and modern weapons and sensors, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, electronic warfare capability, anti-submarine warfare systems, and an integrated Combat Management System. She can take on anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, and is just as capable of maritime security duty, power projection, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Search and Rescue (SAR), and long sustained-presence missions.
Another Step for Project 17A
Commissioning Mahendragiri marks another milestone for the Project 17A programme. Each frigate that joins the Fleet adds to the Navy’s combat strength and cements India’s standing as a serious indigenous warship-building nation. As India works to establish itself as the Preferred Security Partner in the Indian Ocean Region, Mahendragiri will act as a force multiplier, protecting the country’s maritime interests and supporting a secure and stable Indo-Pacific.
The Indian Navy keeps building out its capabilities through ships like this one, and Mahendragiri, ready for her mission, stands prepared to serve the nation, true to her motto: “Mighty, Majestic, Matchless.”
Key Takeaway: The commissioning of INS Mahendragiri (F38), the sixth Project 17A stealth frigate, marks another milestone in India’s drive towards defence self-reliance and maritime capability enhancement. Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) with over 75% indigenous content, the frigate strengthens the Navy’s multi-dimensional operational capabilities across anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine, HADR, and maritime security missions. The development is significant in the context of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, indigenous defence manufacturing, naval modernisation, and India’s strategic role as a preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific.
M.C.Q.
Question 1: INS Mahendragiri (F38), commissioned by the Indian Navy in 2026, belongs to which class of warships?
- A. Project 15B Destroyer
- B. Project 75 Submarine
- C. Project 28 Corvette
- D. Project 17A Stealth Frigate
Question 2: INS Mahendragiri was designed by which organisation?
- A. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
- B. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE)
- C. Warship Design Bureau (WDB) of the Indian Navy
- D. Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam
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