India steps up naval might by inducting 3 indigenous vessels

STEALTH FRIGATE INS DUNAGIRI, ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE CRAFT INS AGRAY AND SURVEY SHIP INS SANSHODHAK WERE COMMISSIONED

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday commissioned three indigenously built vessels into the Indian Navy, stressing that their induction reflected India’s growing maritime capabilities and its push towards self-reliance in the defence sector.

The three platforms — stealth frigate INS Dunagiri, anti-submarine warfare craft INS Agray and survey ship INS Sanshodhak — were built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and recently delivered to the navy.

Addressing the commissioning ceremony at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata, Modi said the vessels symbolised India’s self-reliance drive, adding that the country could no longer remain merely a buyer in the global defence market.

‘‘They [the vessels] were designed and made here, and the manufacturing process involved completely indigenous components, the expertise of Indian engineers and the labour of Indian workers. This is the biggest power of new India,’’ Modi said.

He added: ‘‘India no longer wants to be a buyer in the international defence sector. Our military might cannot become a market for the world.’’