India has added a major new strength to its Navy by commissioning INS Mahe, the first vessel of the Mahe-class anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft series. Built by Cochin Shipyard with more than 80% indigenous components, the 78-metre ship marks an important step in India’s effort to secure its coastline and protect its maritime economy. While India has powerful warships for blue-water missions, it has long lacked specialised vessels that can operate in the shallow coastal waters where most threats actually exist. INS Mahe directly addresses this gap.
India’s coastline stretches 7,516 km and its exclusive economic zone covers 2.3 million sq km. Millions of citizens depend on fisheries, offshore energy, shipping and coastal trade. This region supports nearly 4 million livelihoods and contributes roughly 4% to national GDP. Yet this entire zone is vulnerable to intrusions by enemy submarines, illegal fishing operations and potentially hostile naval activities from countries like Pakistan and China.
Large destroyers and frigates cannot operate effectively in narrow, shallow waters. They are designed for deep-sea missions and cannot detect or chase submarines that hide close to the coastline. This created a long-standing vulnerability in India’s defence planning. INS Mahe has been designed specifically for this environment. It has a shallow draft of just 2.7 metres, which allows it to move easily in littoral zones where submarines tend to hide and where coastal threats emerge.
Despite its small size, INS Mahe carries powerful systems: advanced sonar for submarine detection, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes and a 30 mm naval gun. Its design reduces noise, making it difficult for enemy submarines to detect. The Navy calls it a “silent hunter” for this reason. When fighting undersea threats in restricted waters, the ability to remain quiet can offer a decisive tactical advantage.
The vessel can carry 57 personnel, operate for 14 days at sea and travel 1,800 nautical miles without support. These features allow India to maintain a steady military presence in areas that were previously harder to monitor. Persistent surveillance reduces the chances of submarines entering Indian waters without detection.
The induction of this craft is not just about one vessel. It represents a shift in India’s maritime strategy toward stronger coastal defence and greater reliance on indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.
The real impact of INS Mahe will be visible when it becomes part of a larger fleet. Eight Mahe-class ships are currently being built at Cochin Shipyard, and seven are expected to join the Navy by 2027. Alongside these, the Navy is also developing 11 next-generation offshore patrol vessels at Goa Shipyard and Garden Reach Shipbuilders. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard has set an ambitious goal to expand its fleet to around 200 vessels and 100 aircraft by 2030.
India aims to operate between 175 and 200 warships by 2035, compared to about 132 at present. These numbers highlight the scale of India’s maritime modernisation. They also reflect the increasing challenges in India’s neighbourhood. Pakistan is preparing to induct eight advanced submarines with air-independent propulsion, which allows them to remain underwater for longer. China has a large and rapidly growing navy, including aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. India cannot match their numbers, but it can strengthen its capability where it matters most—its own maritime neighbourhood.
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One of the most noteworthy aspects of INS Mahe is its indigenous content. For decades, India depended on imported warships or foreign technology transfers, which created delays, disputes and high costs. But INS Mahe shows that Indian shipyards are now capable of building advanced combat vessels on their own. Indigenous construction reduces foreign dependence and allows India to produce ships faster and at lower cost.
The vessel’s role becomes more effective when combined with technology-driven monitoring systems. India’s National Maritime Domain Awareness project ensures that data from ships, radars, satellites and intelligence sources is integrated into a single network. With 46 coastal radar stations already active, India now maintains near-continuous surveillance over its coastline. Sonar signals from vessels like INS Mahe feed directly into this network and help create a unified picture of the maritime environment. This allows threats to be detected and responded to more quickly.
INS Mahe is also part of a larger geostrategic plan. Since 2015, India has strengthened its role as a regional security partner through policies such as SAGAR, which focuses on cooperation with neighbouring countries. The newer MAHASAGAR approach extends this cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region, signalling India’s intention to play a more proactive role in maintaining stability in these waters. This approach is especially important as China continues to expand its naval reach.
India is not trying to compete with China ship-for-ship. Instead, it is building the precise capabilities needed to protect its own waters and make any potential aggression too costly. Littoral dominance—control over shallow coastal areas—is a crucial part of this strategy. INS Mahe is designed for exactly this mission.
On the day of its commissioning, the vessel sailed with a crest featuring the Urumi, the flexible sword from Kerala’s martial art of Kalaripayattu. It symbolises precision, agility and lethal skill. These qualities reflect what the Mahe-class ships are meant to offer India’s maritime security in the decades ahead.
INS Mahe is more than a warship. It represents confidence in Indian engineering, a shift towards smarter naval strategy, and a commitment to protecting the millions who depend on the sea for their safety and livelihood. As more ships of its class join the fleet, India’s ability to secure its coastline will strengthen dramatically—turning a long-standing vulnerability into a strategic advantage.
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