The Indian Navy has been focusing on developing indigenous platforms, systems, sensors and weapons as part of the nation's modernisation and expansion of its maritime forces. According to the Chief of the Naval Staff's statement in December 2020, India has transformed from a buyer's navy to a builder's navy. The Indian Navy plans to commission a vessel every six weeks from 2026.
Summary
Fleet modernisation and expansion
The increasing interest of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy in the Indian Ocean region has led the Indian Navy to invest more in anti-submarine ships, such as the Kamorta-class corvette, long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft such as the Boeing P-8I Neptune and ships such as the Saryu-class patrol vessel and unmanned aerial vehicles such as the IAI Heron Mk2. However the lack of a strong submarine fleet has diminished its capabilities to some extent. Post-Chinese intrusions into Ladakh in 2020, it has been announced that the Indian Navy plans to upgrade the military facilities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the eastern seaboard as well as Lakshadweep on the western seaboard, with the aim of having a network of island airbases in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal which provides an infrastructure which will guarantee freedom of navigation and overflight to all Indian territories. The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) accounts for 1,00,000 annual ship transits including 30% of global containerised transport as well as shipment 42% of crude oil and its products and distillates.
In April 2025, the Indian Navy also signed a contract to procure 26 Dassault Rafale M fighter aircraft for its aircraft carriers to enhance its Naval Air Arm, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by 2030. As of May 2026, the Indian Navy has 45 warships under construction which will be delivered within three to four years. Further, the maritime force had received in-principle approval for projects to acquire 195 warships — including 69 surface ships, six submarines and 120 fast interceptor crafts. The Navy plans to have a fleet of 150–160 warships by 2030, which will further expand to over 200 naval vessels by 2035. The Navy's force level could reach up to 230 surface combatants and submarines by 2037 against the current 140 ships including 16 diesel-electric submarines and three nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
On 5 September 2025, the Ministry of Defence published the Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap 2025. The document unveiled plans for the Indian Navy to operate at least 10 nuclear-propelled surface ships including an aircraft carrier, INS Vishal.
Indigenisation
As for indigenisation, the Indian Navy is following the "Roll-on Plan for 2023-26" while the progress is being monitored by Centre for Indigenisation & Self Reliance (CISR) at Coimbatore. The CISR has two Indigenisation Units (IUs) with one at Visakhapatnam, whose area of responsibility includes the Eastern Naval Command & Andaman and Nicobar Command and the other at Mumbai to supervise Western Naval Command. Three aspects are recognised for evaluating the indigenous content of a ship which includes Float (Hull and its related fittings and components), Move (Engines, Complete propulsions systems, etc.) and Fight (Sensor suites and Weapon systems) categories. As of October 2024, 90%, 60% and 50% of the respective categories have been indigenised. The Navy also plans to increase the indigenous content on already-commissioned frontline warships like INS Vikramaditya, Kalvari-class submarine, Talwar-class frigate and Deepak-class fleet tanker. The Indian Navy is also planning to acquire the HAL TEDBF, an indigenous fighter aircraft currently under development, for its aircraft carriers in the 2030s.
Between 2019 and 2024, the Indian Navy spent two-thirds of its modernisation budget on indigenous procurement.
On 1 July 2025, the Indian Navy commissioned its final warship of built at a foreign shipyard, INS Tamal, in Russia. All the following warships are being constructed indigenously by Indian shipyards. Additionally, the Navy also plans a fleet of 13 destroyers and 20 frigates equipped with over 300 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles combined by 2030. While each of the new destroyers are equipped with 16 BrahMos launchers each, except for four of six Delhi class and Rajput-class destroyer which are equipped with eight BrahMos launchers each and INS Rana (D52) and INS Mysore (D60), each of the 20 frigates will be equipped with eight BrahMos launchers. Meanwhile, the latter two of the Talwar-class frigates belonging to the first batch are being upgraded with BrahMos systems.
Index
This indicates that construction OR procurement has been initiated for at least 1 vessel of this class. This indicates that a Request For Information (RFI) has been issued OR commercial negotiations are underway for at least 1 vessel of this class. This indicates that the ship class is being considered for future induction, but has not yet been formally approved for procurement.
Submarines
Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN)
Nuclear Attack Submarines (SSN)
Conventional Submarines (SSK)
Others
Ships
Aircraft carriers
Amphibious warfare ships
Destroyers (DDG)
Frigates (FFG)
Corvettes
Mine countermeasure vessels
Multi Purpose Vessel
Patrol vessels
Replenishment ships
Survey vessels
Miscellaneous
Aircraft
Missile systems
See also
List of active Indian Navy ships
List of future equipment of the Indian Coast Guard
Future of the Indian Air Force
Future of rail transport in India
Weapon systems of the Indian Navy
Notes
References
