India Commissions INS Malvan, Second Mahe-Class Anti-Submarine Craft

The Indian Navy commissioned INS Malvan, the second indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at Karwar on 22 July.

Indian Navy ceremony (representative image)

At a Glance

Ship: INS Malvan, 2nd Mahe-class ASW-SWC (anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft).
Ceremony: 22 July at Karwar, presided over by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.
Builder: Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.
Indigenous content: over 80% (Aatmanirbhar Bharat).
Missions: underwater surveillance, ASW, mine warfare, low-intensity maritime operations.

What was announced

INS Malvan is the second of eight Mahe-class craft and the sixth of 16 planned ASW-SWCs to join the Indian Navy. The commissioning was presided over by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, in the presence of Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.

Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, the vessel has over 80 percent indigenous content, aligning with India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) vision. Its crest features the ‘Bagh Nakha’ (Tiger’s Claw), symbolising bravery, agility and stealth.

System context

Shallow-water ASW craft are designed to detect and track hostile submarines in littoral and shallow waters — areas where large frigates and destroyers have limited maneuverability but conventional submarines can hide.

INS Malvan can undertake underwater surveillance, ASW operations, low-intensity maritime operations and mine warfare, and is fitted with an advanced integrated platform management system (IPMS) for agility in shallow waters.

Regional and strategic meaning

India is strengthening coastal and shallow-water defence against the Chinese navy’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean. Serially built at domestic yards, the ASW-SWCs form a layered anti-submarine net along the coast. India’s momentum in indigenous naval production parallels Turkey’s localisation strategy with the MILGEM and ADA-class ships, with both framing the shift from foreign procurement to domestic build as a sovereignty issue.