The Indian Navy commissioned INS Mahe, the first of the indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), during a ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, on 24 Nov 2025.

The event, hosted by Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, was presided over by General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, with senior naval officers, representatives from Cochin Shipyard Ltd, Kochi, and distinguished guests in attendance.

The ship takes her name from the historic coastal town of Mahe on the Malabar Coast. The town’s maritime heritage and tranquil estuary mirror the ship’s balance of elegance and strength. The ship’s crest features the Urumi, the flexible sword of Kalaripayattu, rising from stylised blue waves - a symbol of agility, precision, and lethal grace. Her mascot, the Cheetah, embodies speed and focus, while the motto “Silent Hunters” reflects the ship’s stealth, vigilance, and unyielding readiness.

Designed and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi, INS Mahe is the lead ship of eight vessels in her class. Drawing on the expertise of BEL, L&T Defence, Mahindra Defence Systems, NPOL, and more than 20 MSMEs, the project reinforces India’s expanding ecosystem of naval design, equipment, and system integration. INS Mahe stands as a shining symbol of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. With over 80% indigenous content, the ship underscores the Indian Navy’s sustained efforts to promote indigenisation through homegrown solutions and innovative technologies.

The commissioning of INS Mahe adds significant punch to the Indian Navy’s ASW capabilities, particularly in countering threats in the littorals. The ship’s combat suite blends multiple systems into a compact yet potent network. She is specially designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal and shallow waters. Fitted with advanced weapons, sensors, and communication systems enabling it to detect, track, and neutralise sub-surface threats with precision, the ship can sustain prolonged operations in shallow waters and features technologically advanced machinery and control systems.

Addressing the ceremony, General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, highlighted that the commissioning of INS Mahe marks not only the induction of a potent new maritime platform, but also reflects India’s growing ability to design, construct and field complex combatants using indigenous technology. He emphasised that the induction of the ship will significantly augment the Indian Navy’s capacity to ensure near-sea dominance, strengthen the coastal security grid and safeguard India’s maritime interests across the littorals. He further underscored that the strength of the Armed Forces lies in synergy across land, sea and air, noting that future conflicts will be multi-domain and require united national effort. Citing Operation Sindoor as a model of jointness, he also highlighted the Army and Navy’s long-standing partnership in HADR and amphibious operations worldwide.

The Mahe-class will form the first line of coastal defence, integrating seamlessly with larger surface combatants, submarines, and aviation assets to maintain constant vigilance over India’s maritime areas of operation. INS Mahe reaffirms the Indian Navy’s status as Combat Ready, Cohesive, and Aatmanirbhar, safeguarding seas for a Viksit Samriddha Bharat.

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