India’s new warship Mahendragiri will be launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai on September 1. The stealth frigate will boost the combat capabilities of the Indian Navy. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be the chief guest at the launch ceremony of the war vessel. According to a statement issued by the Vice President’s Secretariat on Wednesday, Dhankhar along with his spouse Sudesh will visit Mumbai on Sept 1.

Mahendragiri, named after a mountain peak in the Eastern Ghats located in the state of Orissa, is the seventh ship built under India’s ambitious  Project 17A Frigates. Project 17A rolled out in 2019 to construct a series of stealth guided-missile frigates. The first stealth ship launched under Project 17A was the Nilgiri in 2019. President Droupadi Murmu launched Vindhyagiri, the sixth warship of Project 17A, at GRSE on August 17.

Under the project, ships have been designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau while strictly adhering to India’s resolute commitment to 'Aatma Nirbharata'. A substantial 75 per cent of the orders for equipment and systems have been ordered from indigenous firms, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).  

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in July approved a proposal for the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and logistic support for the Indian Navy from the French Government based on Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA). The DAC also granted the AoN for the procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under the Buy (Indian) category which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). The procurement of additional submarines, with higher indigenous content, will not only help in maintaining the required force level and operational readiness of the Indian Navy but also create significant employment opportunities in the domestic sector. It will also help the MDL in further enhancing its capability and expertise in submarine construction.