Driven by the lessons and momentum obtained by the Indian Navy’s forceful maneuvers during Operation Sindoor in the Arabian Sea, India is poised to rapidly expand its naval shipbuilding capacity and improve its maritime defense capabilities.
To expand its facilities in Mumbai, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), a renowned state-owned shipyard, plans to invest between ₹4,000 and ₹5,000 crore.
In order to meet the ambitious objective of a 175 Capital Ship Navy by 2047, this project seeks to bolster the Navy’s fleet with more sophisticated warships and submarines.
Large warships and submarines can be built and repaired simultaneously according to MDL’s expansion plan, which calls for reclaiming 10 acres of marine land next to its existing Mumbai campus to develop two new basins.
With 37 acres of land already secured at Nhava Sheva port, this will increase the shipyard’s deadweight handling capacity from 40,000 tons to 80,000 tons, with a longer-term goal of reaching 2,00,000 deadweight tonnes.
In order to position itself to satisfy the Indian Navy’s increasing need for state-of-the-art naval platforms, MDL has also started shipbuilding operations on a 29-year lease for 15 acres from the Mumbai Port Authority.
As the shipyard works on two significant submarine projects for the Navy worth more than ₹1.06 lakh crore, its capacity to build 11 submarines and 10 warships concurrently is expected to grow.
Through a number of important advancements, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited’s (MDL) crucial expansion is set to greatly improve India’s underwater combat capabilities:
MDL will be able to manufacture and repair more submarines concurrently because to the additional infrastructure, surpassing its present capacity of 11 submarines at once. This would hasten the delivery of cutting-edge platforms, which are essential for reaching the Navy’s ambitious fleet ambitions and staying up with regional naval forces.
At a cost of more than ₹1.06 lakh crore, MDL is currently working on two significant submarine projects for the Indian Navy. It is anticipated that these initiatives will have a revolutionary impact, enhancing India’s combat readiness and strategic deterrence in the Indian Ocean region.
By enabling faster cycles for construction, maintenance, and upgrades, the enlarged facilities will guarantee that vital underwater assets stay up to date and operationally prepared. This would help preserve fleet preparedness and prompt delivery of new boats, the Ministry of Defense has stressedIndia hopes to improve self-reliance in defense manufacture and lessen need on foreign suppliers by expanding domestic capacity and updating shipyard infrastructure. Maintaining a robust and technologically sophisticated underwater fleet depends on this.
.The Navy’s overarching goal of building a strong sea-based deterrent is supported by the growth, particularly as India adds more nuclear-powered and sophisticated conventional submarines. In the increasingly disputed Indian Ocean, these resources are crucial for thwarting enemies and maintaining maritime security.
Countering China’s fast growing naval footprint in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), where China currently has the largest navy in the world and has bases abroad, is the main motivator. For credible deterrence—which guarantees that India can defend its interests and counter any forceful actions by China or other regional powers—a larger, more contemporary Indian navy is necessary.
India will have more operational reach, flexibility, and the capacity to project power far beyond its immediate coastline if it expands to 175 capital ships. Maintaining a strong presence in key chokepoints throughout the IOR and beyond, assisting with expeditionary operations, and protecting maritime communication cables all depend on this.
India wants to strengthen its position as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean by expanding its fleet, which will enable it to lead humanitarian efforts, joint operations, and anti-piracy patrols. This improves Indo-Pacific collective security by fortifying India’s alliances with the Quad (the US, Japan, and Australia) and other like-minded countries.
The growth is directly related to India’s goal of constructing all warships and submarines domestically in order to lessen reliance on outside vendors and strengthen the country’s defense sector. This promotes technological development and strategic autonomyGiven that 95% of India’s total trade is conducted by sea, safeguarding maritime trade routes, thwarting shipping threats, and guaranteeing the continuous flow of goods and energy all depend on having a strong navy.
Reaching a navy of 175 ships is in line with India’s overarching goal of being a significant maritime power and one of the world’s leading shipbuilders by 2047. This includes expanding India’s share of international cargo traffic, developing shipbuilding parks, and improving port infrastructure—all of which strengthen India’s position both economically and geopolitically.
It is anticipated that these developments will greatly improve India’s capacity for underwater combat. India’s shipbuilding output still lags far behind China, which has the largest naval fleet in the world with over 370 ships, despite these advancements. However, India hopes to close this deficit and strengthen its maritime power by increasing domestic manufacture and updating shipyard facilities.
In line with India’s strategic goal to guarantee the timely delivery of vital platforms, the Ministry of Defence has announced that the new facilities will enable the building of naval assets as well as their timely maintenance and modernization. MDL, which just celebrated its 250th anniversary, has a history of producing more than 800 ships, including eight submarines and 31 capital warships, as well as selling 214 boats abroad.
The Indian Navy’s aggressive deployment and maritime supremacy successfully limited Pakistani naval assets to their ports during Operation Sindoor, showcasing India’s developing naval power and strategic deterrence. This expansion is a direct response to the operational lessons learned from that operation.
An important turning point in India’s quest for strategic independence and maritime supremacy, the action is anticipated to be crucial in reaching the Navy’s indigenization and fleet growth goals by 2047.
