Marking a significant milestone in India’s atmanirbharta journey, INS ARNALA was commissioned into the Indian Navy today at the naval dockyard Visakhapatnam in the presence of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan.

The first of the 16 indigenously built Anti-Submarine shallow water craft (SWC) is packed with state-of-the-art ASW weapons and sensor suite.

The ceremony was hosted by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, and attended by senior naval officials, distinguished civilian dignitaries, ex-Commanding Officers of the erstwhile Arnala, guests, and representatives from Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and Larsen & Toubro Shipbuilding.

Designed for a broad range of Anti-Submarine operations, INS Arnala is equipped to conduct Sub-Surface Surveillance and Interdiction, Search and Rescue Missions, and Low-Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO). This 77-meter-long warship, with a gross tonnage of over 1490 tonnes, is the largest Indian Naval warship to be propelled by a Diesel Engine-Waterjet combination.

The commissioning of INS Arnala not only reinforces India’s defence capability but also highlights the triumph of indigenous design, engineering, and manufacturing.

As India continues its maritime journey toward greater self-reliance, INS Arnala stands as a proud symbol of national strength, industrial partnership, and naval excellence.

In his address, the Chief Guest underscored the Indian Navy’s remarkable transition from a “Buyer’s Navy” to a “Builder’s Navy”, highlighting this as the backbone of the country’s Blue Water aspirations.

With a large number of ships currently under construction in India — including capital warships and auxiliaries — India has emerged as a formidable force in shipbuilding.

Indigenous warships now feature cutting-edge home-grown systems ranging from stealth technology to electronic warfare suites and advanced sensors, significantly enhancing combat preparedness and progressively realising the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The CDS commended the Indian Navy for the steadfast commitment to transforming strategic vision into tangible outcomes via the indigenous route.

The induction of INS Arnala, named after the historic coastal fort off Maharashtra, is a step in the direction of building naval capabilities in line with the force levels envisaged to meet the challenges of the future.