Indian Navy to Induct Indigenous Guided Missile Frigate Taaragiri on April 3

New Delhi, March 21: The Indian Navy is enhancing its maritime strength by incorporating indigenous warships, aiming for complete self-reliance by 2047. The induction of new indigenous platforms is ongoing.

As part of Project 17A, the advanced guided stealth frigate, Taaragiri, is set to join the Navy. According to an official statement from the Navy, Taaragiri will be formally inducted on April 3 in Visakhapatnam. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will dedicate this guided missile frigate to the Navy during the ceremony. Earlier this year, the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft, ‘Anjadip’, was also inducted into the Navy.

Taaragiri is the fourth frigate in the Nilgiri class, with the first, INS Nilgiri, having been inducted in January 2025. Following that, the frigates Himagiri and Udaygiri were also added to the fleet. Now, it’s Taaragiri’s turn.

Equipped with BrahMos missiles, the guided missile stealth frigate Taaragiri excels in anti-surface and anti-ship warfare. For air defense, it features long-range surface-to-air missiles, the Barak-8, along with air defense guns, indigenous torpedoes ‘Varunastra’, and rocket launchers for anti-submarine warfare.

Taaragiri is outfitted with modern sonar, a combat management system, and multi-function digital radar to detect, track, and neutralize incoming threats from long distances. The frigate also includes a helicopter hangar capable of accommodating two helicopters.

Approximately 75% of the equipment for all seven frigates under Project 17A is sourced from indigenous companies. The design and steel used are also domestically produced. The Navy’s Warship Design Bureau created the design for this 6,700-ton frigate, which can operate at speeds of up to 30 nautical miles per hour.

The seven guided missile stealth frigates of the Nilgiri class are being constructed for the Indian Navy. Four of these frigates are being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). All of them were launched between 2019 and 2022.

Taaragiri is the fourth frigate of the Nilgiri class to be inducted into the Navy, while the remaining three are still undergoing sea trials. The addition of these stealth guided missile frigates will significantly bolster India’s maritime capabilities.

The design of all Nilgiri class warships has been developed by the Naval Design Bureau. The names of all frigates under Projects 17 and 17A are inspired by India’s mountain ranges, including Shivalik, Sahyadri, Satpura, Nilgiri, Himagiri, Taaragiri, Udaygiri, Dunagiri, Mahendragiri, and Vindhyagiri.