India's Royal Navy is set to commission warships at an impressive rate of one every six weeks throughout 2026, bolstering the nation's maritime strength while stimulating economic growth, reported of Sunday Guardian Live.

This ambitious schedule underscores New Delhi's strategic focus on naval expansion amid evolving regional dynamics. Last year marked a pivotal phase of operational readiness, international engagement, and indigenous shipbuilding, laying a robust foundation for future capabilities.

Operation Sindoor and the deployment of India's carrier battle group captured significant public attention, yet these were merely highlights within a broader spectrum of sustained naval activity. 

Throughout 2025, the Navy maintained continuous presence at sea, conducting exercises, security patrols, and humanitarian missions while integrating new platforms into service. This multifaceted engagement ensured vigilance across vital maritime domains.

Maritime security operations formed the backbone of these efforts. On 31 March 2025, INS Tarkash, in coordination with a P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, intercepted a dhow in the Western Indian Ocean, seizing approximately 2,500 kg of narcotics. Such interdictions were part of a series of high-seas actions that curtailed illicit activities.

Under Operation Sankalp, Indian naval vessels escorted merchant ships, executed anti-piracy patrols, performed boarding operations, and remained poised for contingencies. These missions, though seldom in the headlines, safeguard critical trade routes and deter maritime crime. They exemplify the Navy's role in upholding freedom of navigation.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) remained a core mandate. Operation Brahma, triggered by a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar in March 2025, showcased exemplary response. Ships including INS Satpura, Savitri, Karmuk, LCU-52, and Gharial delivered substantial relief supplies, medical aid, and emergency provisions.

This HADR endeavour integrated seamlessly with Indian Air Force transport aircraft and Army medical units, highlighting inter-service synergy. The operation affirmed the Navy's expeditionary reach and rapid deployment from home bases. It reinforced India's stature as a responsive regional power.

Search-and-rescue (SAR) tasks persisted year-round. Naval helicopters evacuated crews from distressed vessels like MV Heilan Star. Firefighting teams tackled blazes on MT Yi Cheng 6 in the Gulf of Aden, as well as on container ships MSC Elsa 3 and MV Wan Hai 503 off Kerala.

These interventions underscored the Navy's versatility—primed for combat yet ever-ready as a first responder in the Indian Ocean expanse. Such dual-role proficiency enhances operational credibility among partner nations.

The year commenced with TROPEX-25, the Navy's flagship operational exercise, whose timing proved prescient amid subsequent high-tempo demands. International engagements followed apace. KONKAN-25 saw INS Vikrant integrate with the UK Carrier Strike Group under HMS Prince of Wales, joined by Norway and Japan.

Samudra Shakti 2025 with Indonesia honed anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and surveillance skills. Mission SAGAR hosted 44 personnel from nine nations aboard an Indian warship, featuring the inaugural India-Africa multilateral drill, AIKEYME, to foster western Indian Ocean cooperation.

High-intensity exercises included Malabar with Quad partners off Guam and the French-led La Pérouse, uniting nine navies. Bilateral varunas with France (Varuna), Bangladesh (Bongo Sagar), and Japan (JIMEX) complemented multilaterals like SIMBEX and Sea Dragon.

India showcased submarine rescue prowess at Pacific Reach 2025 in Singapore via INS Nistar. Domestically, Exercise Trishul fused amphibious ops with cyber and intelligence facets, while Jal Prahar refined beach landings. Tiger Triumph with the US sharpened tri-service HADR and evacuation protocols.

Ship inductions and domestic construction accelerated self-reliance. INS Tamal, commissioned in Russia, signified the final foreign-built addition to the fleet. Thereafter, focus pivoted entirely to home yards.

In 2025, the Navy welcomed INS Surat, a stealthy Visakhapatnam-class destroyer; the lead Nilgiri-class frigates INS Nilgiri, Himgiri, and Udaygiri; and INS Vagsheer, concluding the Kalvari-class submarine line. Three anti-submarine shallow-water craft—INS Arnala, Androth, and Mahe—bolstered littoral defences.

The fleet expanded further with INS Nistar, an indigenous diving support vessel, plus survey ships INS Nirdeshak and INS Ikshak. This influx diversified capabilities across surface, subsurface, and support domains.

Naval shipbuilding sustains a pan-India industrial ecosystem, nurturing specialised fabrication, skilled jobs, and dual-use technologies. It propels economic multipliers while advancing atmanirbharta in defence manufacturing.

Over 2025, the Navy executed its mandate comprehensively: securing trade arteries, forging alliances via drills, earning goodwill through aid, and championing indigenous builds. Much of this unfolded beyond public gaze, yet it underpinned stability for India's trade and energy lifelines.

Ahead lies the International Fleet Review and MILAN-26 in February 2026, platforms to unveil these strengths globally under the MAHASAGAR vision. With steady inductions, 2026 promises amplified presence and potency.

Maritime prowess accrues through platforms, personnel, doctrine, and diplomacy. The Indian Navy progressed across these pillars last year, with momentum poised to endure. This trajectory positions India as a pivotal stabiliser in the Indian Ocean Region.

Based On Sunday Guardian Live Report