By A Correspondent

Mumbai: India’s shipbuilding industry received a major boost on November 24, 2025, with the commissioning of INS Mahe, the first of the indigenously designed Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC).

The vessel, built by Shipping Ministry-run Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), represents a major leap in India’s ability to design, integrate, and deliver frontline naval platforms entirely through its domestic industrial ecosystem.

Commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, INS Mahe underscores the expanding capabilities of India’s shipyards at a time when China is rapidly scaling up its naval production and Pakistan is inducting new submarines from Beijing.

The ceremony was presided over by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and hosted by Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, highlighting the armed forces’ growing faith in Indian shipbuilding.

The Mahe-class programme is one of the most significant demonstrations of indigenous naval construction in recent years.

CSL, the prime contractor, partnered with a wide range of Indian defence manufacturers, including Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), L&T Defence, Mahindra Defence Systems, NPOL, and more than 20 MSMEs, to build a platform that boasts over 80% indigenous content.

For the shipbuilding industry, this represents a benchmark in the localisation of complex naval systems, sensors, and machinery control suites.

INS Mahe also reflects India’s maturing capability in maritime design and engineering. The ship’s compact yet potent combat suite integrates multiple indigenous systems for detecting, tracking, and engaging submarines operating in the difficult environment of shallow coastal waters.

The vessel features advanced propulsion, communication networks, and fully integrated control systems—showcasing how Indian shipyards are moving beyond hull fabrication to complete systems integration.

For Cochin Shipyard, INS Mahe is the lead vessel in a series of eight ships, demonstrating its growing production efficiency and capacity to handle multi-ship programmes.

The Navy’s decision to rely heavily on CSL and its domestic suppliers signals a strong vote of confidence in India’s emerging naval industrial base.

The Mahe-class ASW craft will play a critical role in India’s coastal defence architecture, forming the first layer of defence against underwater threats from adversaries in the region.

But for the shipbuilding sector, the project’s success represents something even larger: a confirmation that India can build high-end warships at scale, with indigenous technology, and with industry-wide collaboration.

INS Mahe therefore stands not only as a frontline naval asset, but also as a symbol of India’s transformation into a competitive shipbuilding nation, one capable of delivering sophisticated platforms that match global standards and support the strategic goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

NOTE: Follow Defence.Capital on Arattai.
NOTE: Follow Defence.Capital on Telegram.
NOTE: Follow Defence.Capital on WhatsApp.