By A Correspondent
Mumbai: India’s state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), on April 30, 2026, delivered the sixth frigate under a six-warship project, achieving a major milestone in self-reliance in warship design and construction within the country.
The frigate, christened Mahendragiri of the Nilgiri-class and with project codename Yard 12654, is the fourth ship under Project 17A built by MDL, the Indian Navy said in a statement on May 1.
Three other warships under Project 17A are being built by Kolkata-headquartered Garden Research Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), another state-run shipyard under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
“Project 17A frigates are versatile multi-mission platforms designed to address current and emerging challenges in the maritime domain,” the Indian Navy statement said.
“This state-of-the-art frigate reflects a quantum leap in naval design, stealth, firepower, automation, and survivability, and stands as an admirable symbol of Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in warship building,” it said.
Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team (Mumbai), Project 17A frigates reflect a generational leap in indigenous ship design, stealth, survivability, and combat capability.
Driven by the philosophy of Integrated Construction, the ship was built and delivered within the envisaged timelines, the Indian Navy said.
Project 17A ships are fitted with an advanced weapon and sensor suite as compared to the Project 17 or the Shivalik-class frigates. The potent weapon and sensor suite comprises anti-surface, anti-air, and anti-submarine warfare systems.
These ships are configured with Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants, comprising a diesel engine and a gas turbine that drive a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) on each shaft, and a state-of-the-art Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).
Mahendragiri is the sixth P17A ship to be delivered to the Indian Navy in the span of less than 17 months from the delivery of the first Project 17A (Nilgiri) by MDL on December 20, 2024.
The delivery of Mahendragiri showcases the design, shipbuilding, and engineering prowess of the nation, and reflects the Indian Navy’s unrelenting focus on Aatmanirbharta in both ship design and shipbuilding, the statement said.
With an indigenous content of 75%, the project has involved over 200 MSMEs at MDL and has enabled employment generation of approximately 4,000 personnel directly and more than 10,000 personnel indirectly.
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