India’s ambition to expand its navy to more than 200 ships within the next decade has gained urgency as China continues to enlarge the world’s biggest naval fleet and Pakistan inducts advanced Chinese-built submarines, Chinese media SCMP reported.

This strategic backdrop has heightened New Delhi’s anxieties in the Indian Ocean, driving a rapid pace of shipbuilding and commissioning.

The recent induction of the stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri and the submarine hunter INS Malvan has been presented as evidence of India’s ability to scale up its fleet while reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. Both warships were domestically built, underscoring the government’s push for Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance, in defence manufacturing.

Mahendragiri, designed by the Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders with 75 per cent indigenous content, is the sixth Nilgiri-class frigate to enter service. Vindhyagiri, the seventh and final ship of this class, is expected to follow within months. Already, a new series of advanced warships under Project-17 Bravo is in the pipeline, signalling continuity in India’s naval modernisation.

India’s navy currently fields around 150 vessels, of which 135 are frontline combatants such as frigates, destroyers and submarines. Another 50 are under construction. Analysts argue that with this composition largely supported by indigenous shipbuilding, the target of a 200-ship navy by 2035 is achievable, and possibly even surpassable, if momentum is maintained.

Former rear admiral Sanjay Misra has emphasised the need for at least two highly mobile, self-contained fleets on permanent standby, a posture requiring substantially more warships and support vessels. The navy has responded by accelerating inductions to the point that a new warship enters service every six weeks. In just the past month and a half, five indigenously built vessels have been commissioned.

India’s long-term ambition is complete self-reliance in shipbuilding, including components, by 2047. Yet critics highlight persistent obstacles. Heavy reliance on imported specialised steel and components, fragmented domestic supply chains, and outdated shipyard infrastructure remain challenges.

Misra identified two core weaknesses: insufficient infrastructure and skilled manpower, and technological deficits in sensors, weapons systems and power generation. He noted, however, that considerable progress has been made and niche technologies are expected to be developed domestically in the near future.

Self-reliance does not mean isolation. Misra pointed to collaboration as an enabler, citing Japan’s proposal to co-produce Mogami-class frigates in Indian shipyards. India and Japan have already signed an agreement to jointly develop the Unicorn stealth mast, a system designed to make Indian warships harder to detect on enemy radar.

Delhi has also launched an $8.4 billion maritime revival package aimed at making India one of the world’s top five shipbuilding nations by 2047, coinciding with the centenary of independence. 

Srinivasan Balakrishnan of the Indic Researchers Forum described the 200-ship target as ambitious but achievable, citing milestones such as the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, the Kalvari-class submarines, and ten domestically built destroyers.

He noted that while hull construction and systems integration can largely be completed at home, selective collaboration with partners such as France, Russia, Israel and the US will be needed for propulsion, sensors and weapons integration.

Balakrishnan stressed that building a robust navy is essential for India to secure sea lanes, protect trade and maintain deterrence. Focused investment and pragmatic partnerships, he argued, will position India to meet its goals and bolster regional stability.

China’s navy, estimated by the US Department of Defence to operate more than 370 warships including modern carriers, destroyers and submarines, continues to project power across the Indo-Pacific.

This expansion has pressured India’s interests in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan’s acquisition of eight advanced Hangor-class attack submarines from China, under a deal worth up to $5 billion, has further deepened India’s unease.

India’s naval expansion is therefore not only about numbers but about strategic balance. The drive towards a 200-ship fleet reflects both ambition and necessity, as New Delhi seeks to counter regional threats while asserting its role as a maritime power.

Agencies