With the upcoming commissioning of a new strategic naval base for nuclear submarines in Andhra Pradesh by 2026 and the concurrent modernization of its Karwar base on the western seaboard, India is making significant strides in its naval infrastructure.
With its advanced underground pens and tunnel networks intended to enable nuclear submarines to operate clandestinely in the Bay of Bengal, the first phase of the Rambilli-based Project Varsha is almost finished.
At the same time, India plans to commission its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Aridhaman, in 2025, adding to its fleet of nuclear submarines. These advancements will significantly improve India’s maritime capabilities on both the eastern and western seaboards and are essential parts of the country’s strategic response to China’s growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region.
INS Varsha, which is being built for the Indian Navy as part of Project Varsha, is situated about 50 kilometers south of Visakhapatnam, the Eastern Naval Command headquarters, close to the coastal Andhra Pradesh village of Rambilli. Although Gangavaram was first mentioned in reports as a possible location, Rambilli was eventually selected because of its strategic benefits. In addition to being close to the Malacca Strait, one of the most significant shipping lanes in the world, this location gives the Indian Navy vital access to the Bay of Bengal.
Because of the base’s advantageous location, India can keep an eye on and react to naval activity in the eastern Indian Ocean, especially that of China, whose growing naval presence has raised concerns among Indian security planners. The base’s strategic importance is further increased by its close proximity to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), which supplies India’s nuclear submarine fleet with the nuclear engineering support it needs.
Numerous tunnels into mountains, massive piers, and advanced support facilities are just a few of the many engineering endeavors involved in Project Varsha. Significant logistical, technological, and environmental obstacles have caused the construction to take ten years to complete. The project is expected to cost roughly $3.75 billion, though the precise amount is still unknown.
The base has a complex system of tunnels and underground pens built especially to conceal and house nuclear submarines. Because of this special infrastructure, submarines can enter and exit the base through underwater tunnels without coming to the surface, avoiding enemy spy satellite detection. According to reports, the inner harbor is finished, and work is still being done on the outer harbor, which includes building jetties and breakwaters.
India’s fleet of nuclear ships and submarines, including the Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), will be housed at INS Varsha. Despite being manned by naval personnel, the Strategic Forces Command is in charge of administrative and operational oversight of the Indian Navy’s nuclear assets, and deployment decisions are made in Delhi.
Decongestion of the Visakhapatnam Port, which presently accommodates both naval and commercial shipping requirements, is one of the main reasons for building INS Varsha. With 46 major warships in 2012 compared to 15 in 2006, the Eastern Naval fleet has grown dramatically, placing a great deal of strain on already-existing facilities. With its extensive crew accommodations and state-of-the-art nuclear engineering support facilities, the new base will greatly improve the operational capabilities of the Eastern Naval Command.
Project Seabird entails the establishment and growth of a naval base in Karwar, Karnataka, on India’s western coast. After India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1999, the project was approved. The first phase, Operation Seabird, was finished in 2005, and the second phase was started in 2011. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh recently inaugurated more than ₹2,000 crore worth of additional operational, repair, and logistic facilities.
The project was developed in response to the difficulties the Indian Navy faced during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, when the Western Fleet’s security was compromised by traffic from commercial shipping, fishing boats, and tourists in Mumbai Harbor. Karwar was chosen as the best site after a number of other locations, such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, and Thoothukudi, were assessed.
In addition to a 3,000-foot runway, the Karwar Naval Base has specialized dockyard repair and maintenance facilities with piers and wharves, as well as covered dry berths for ships and submarines. The base also includes a Naval Air Station with several runways and hangars, extensive housing and residential complexes, and cutting-edge security and communication systems.
Project Seabird’s Phase-IIA will greatly increase Karwar’s capacity, allowing it to accommodate 23 yard-craft and 32 large warships and submarines. A dual-use naval air station, a complete naval dockyard, four covered dry berths, and comprehensive ship and aircraft logistics support are all part of the project’s scope. The Karwar base will be able to accommodate 50 warships, submarines, and 40 auxiliary craft over its 25-kilometer expanse once Phase-IIB is completed, significantly easing Mumbai Harbor’s congestion.
The 2025 commissioning of INS Aridhaman represents a major advancement in India’s naval capabilities. In addition to the already-operational INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, this ship is India’s third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). INS Aridhaman was launched in November 2021 and put into service in February 2025. It was constructed as part of the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Shipbuilding Centre in Visakhapatnam.
Slightly larger than its predecessors, INS Aridhaman can carry more K-4 missiles with a 3,500-kilometer strike range and has a displacement of 7,000 tons. The pressurized water reactor (PWR) that powers the submarine is an improved version of the one that powers INS Arihant, with a notably reduced acoustic signature that improves stealth.
With plans for a fourth submarine already underway as part of the covert ₹90,000 crore Advanced Technology Vessel project, India’s naval expansion goes beyond ongoing projects. Furthermore, India plans to eventually construct 13,500-tonne SSBNs with more potent 190 MW pressurized light-water reactors, which would be a significant improvement over the 83 MW reactors currently found in submarines.
With the ultimate goal of building six SSNs, the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security authorized the ₹40,000 crore construction of two 9,800-ton nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) in October 2024. These attack submarines will give India a more varied underwater combat capability than SSBNs because they will be equipped with conventional weapons and non-nuclear missiles.
China’s increasing naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region is directly reflected in India’s rapid submarine fleet expansion and naval infrastructure development. Because of INS Varsha’s advantageous location, India can keep an eye on maritime activity in the Bay of Bengal and swiftly send submarines toward the vital Malacca Strait, which serves as a choke point for a large portion of China’s energy and maritime trade.
India’s nuclear submarine fleet will be able to conduct deterrent patrols without being discovered by hostile reconnaissance systems thanks to the underground pens and tunnel networks at Rambilli. Maintaining India’s second-strike nuclear capability, which is essential to its nuclear deterrence strategy, is made possible by this capability.
India has operational flexibility and strategic depth thanks to the establishment of naval bases on both the eastern and western seaboards. While INS Varsha puts the navy in a position to respond to threats in the South China Sea and eastern Indian Ocean, the Karwar base bolsters India’s capabilities against Pakistan.
These advancements greatly improve India’s maritime domain awareness and power projection capabilities throughout the Indian Ocean Region, especially when paired with the country’s growing nuclear submarine fleet. These bases’ strategic locations enable India to keep watch over vital sea lanes of communication and react quickly to emergencies or threats.
India’s naval buildup is part of a larger strategy to improve strategic deterrence and maritime security. India’s standing as a major naval force in the Indo-Pacific area is reinforced by the upcoming commissioning of INS Varsha, continuous improvements to the Karwar Naval Base, and the growth of the nuclear submarine fleet.
These events occur at a crucial time when the Indian Ocean’s maritime competition is getting more intense, especially given China’s expanding naval power. India is putting itself in a position to defend its maritime interests, secure vital sea lanes, and preserve strategic autonomy in regional security dynamics by investing in cutting-edge nuclear submarines and sophisticated naval infrastructure.
India’s naval capabilities will be transformed as these projects are completed in the upcoming years, which could change the regional maritime security architecture and strengthen India’s position as a major player in preserving the stability and security of the Indian Ocean Region.
