The Indian Navy is set to enhance its capabilities with the simultaneous commissioning of two advanced nilgiri-class stealth frigates, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, on August 26, 2025, at Visakhapatnam. These frigates, part of Project 17A, demonstrate India’s commitment to self-reliance in defense manufacturing, featuring approximately 75% indigenous content and integrating technology from over 2,000 Indian firms, including numerous MSMEs. Both ships are equipped with advanced weaponry, such as BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles, and offer robust multi-mission capabilities in blue-water operations. The commissioning event signifies a major milestone in India’s naval modernization and the success of the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. It symbolizes the nation’s ambition to build a self-sufficient maritime defense ecosystem, with ships designed, built, and manned by Indians, reflecting a generational leap in naval capabilities compared to earlier designs. The new frigates will bolster India’s maritime power and enhance its ability to address conventional and non-conventional threats, underscoring a strategic shift towards a more robust and capable naval force as part of a broader defense strategy aimed at safeguarding national interests in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.