SOURCE: AFI
The commissioning of INS Tamal, a 3,900-tonne Talwar-class stealth frigate, on July 1, 2025, at Russia’s Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, represents a historic milestone for the Indian Navy. As the eighth Krivak-class frigate inducted from Russia over the past two decades and the last warship to be imported, INS Tamal signifies the culmination of India’s reliance on foreign-built naval platforms.
This pivotal moment aligns with India’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-Reliant India) and “Make in India” initiatives, which prioritize indigenous warship construction. As the Indian Navy transitions to domestically designed and built frigates and destroyers, it is also gradually moving away from Russian design influences, embracing Western design philosophies to shape its next-generation surface combatants.
INS Tamal, the second of two Tushil-class frigates built under a $2.5 billion Indo-Russian agreement signed in October 2016, is a testament to the long-standing defense partnership between India and Russia. Equipped with advanced weaponry, including BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Shtil-1 surface-to-air missiles, a 100mm gun, torpedoes, and anti-submarine rockets, Tamal is designed for blue-water operations across air, surface, subsurface, and electromagnetic domains. With 26% indigenous content, including systems from Bharat Electronics Ltd and BrahMos Aerospace, it reflects India’s growing capability to integrate homegrown technology into foreign platforms. However, its commissioning marks the end of India’s procurement of foreign-built warships, driven by several strategic and operational factors.
First, India’s naval modernization strategy emphasizes self-reliance in defense manufacturing. The Navy currently has 59 warships and vessels under construction in Indian shipyards at a cost of approximately ?1.2 lakh crore, with initial approval for another 31, including nine diesel-electric submarines, seven next-generation frigates, and eight anti-submarine warfare corvettes. Senior naval officers have stated, “The force has fully transformed from a ‘Buyer’s Navy’ to a ‘Builder’s Navy’ over the years. There is no plan for an Indian warship to be constructed abroad in the future.” This shift is exemplified by the domestic construction of two additional Talwar-class frigates, INS Triput and Tavasya, at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) with Russian technology transfer, boasting over 60% indigenous components.
Second, geopolitical and logistical challenges have underscored the risks of relying on foreign suppliers. The construction of INS Tamal faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Western sanctions, pushing its delivery from 2022 to 2025. Despite successful collaboration—Ukrainian engines power the frigate, and Indian and Russian engineers integrated indigenous systems—these disruptions highlighted the vulnerabilities of dependence on foreign shipyards. India’s push for self-reliance mitigates such risks, ensuring uninterrupted access to critical naval assets amid global uncertainties.
Finally, the Indian Navy’s operational requirements are evolving in response to regional threats, particularly China’s expanding naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and Pakistan’s modernization efforts, supported by Chinese Yuan-class submarines. INS Tamal, while formidable, represents a Russian design philosophy rooted in the Krivak-III class, which, despite upgrades, is less aligned with the Navy’s future vision of modular, stealth-centric, and network-enabled platforms. The Navy’s goal of a 200-ship fleet with 500 aircraft by 2030 demands innovative designs tailored to India’s unique maritime challenges.
The Indian Navy’s reliance on Russian designs, exemplified by the Talwar, Teg, and Tushil classes, has been significant since the early 2000s. These frigates, derived from the Krivak-III class, feature robust weaponry and gas turbine propulsion (Ukrainian Zorya-Mashproekt M7N1 systems) but lack the modular construction and advanced stealth characteristics of modern Western warships. While the Talwar-class frigates incorporate semi-stealth features, such as reduced radar cross-sections and sloped superstructures, their cluttered topsides and dated hull designs limit their signature reduction compared to Western counterparts like the U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers or European FREMM frigates.
The Indian Navy’s transition to indigenous, Western-inspired designs is evident in its ongoing and planned warship programs:
- Project 17A Nilgiri-Class Frigates: These 6,700-tonne stealth frigates, built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), represent a leap over Russian designs. With improved stealth (sloped superstructures, infrared suppression), CODAG propulsion, and indigenous systems like BrahMos missiles, Barak-8 SAMs, and HUMSA-NG sonar, they are tailored for multi-domain warfare. INS Nilgiri, commissioned on January 15, 2025, is the lead ship of this class.
- Project 15B Visakhapatnam-Class Destroyers: These 7,400-tonne destroyers, built by MDL, incorporate advanced stealth and network-centric capabilities. Armed with BrahMos, Barak-8, and indigenous torpedoes, they reflect a blend of Indian innovation and Western design principles. INS Surat, the final ship, was commissioned on January 15, 2025.
- Project 18 Next-Generation Destroyers (NGD): Under planning, these 10,000-tonne destroyers will feature cutting-edge technologies, including railguns, laser weapons, and integrated electric propulsion. Designed for carrier battle group operations, they will draw heavily on Western concepts of modularity and stealth, positioning India as a global naval power.
- Future Frigates: The Navy has approval for seven next-generation frigates, likely to build on Project 17A’s Western-inspired design. These will prioritize modularity, enabling integration of future systems like hypersonic missiles or unmanned platforms, aligning with U.S. and European trends.
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