Indian Navy To Commission Mahe, India's New Indigenously Built Anti‑Submarine Shallow‑Water Warship

Kochi: The Indian Navy is set to register another historic moment by commissioning the lead vessel of the new Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), the Mahe and rewriting the country’s indigenous defence story. According to the Ministry of Defence, on 24 November, the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai will host a special ceremony to commission the Mahe. 

As per the Defence Ministry officials, the sleek, 78‑metre vessel, built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, is set to become the centrepiece of a new generation of littoral combatants. The newly-built fleet is designed to dominate the shallow waters that encompass India’s coastline.

Explaining the features of the vessel, the officials stated that Mahe's sheer scale of domestic involvement is in its creation. As per information, over eighty per cent of the ship’s components are homegrown, which again proved the Narendra Modi government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat drive and the growing expertise of Indian shipyards. The CSL’s engineers and welders have turned a concept drawn on a board into a fully operational warship, integrating cutting‑edge sonar, radar and anti‑submarine weaponry into a compact structure that can slip through narrow channels and hidden bays with ease. The vessel's blend of firepower, stealth and mobility is intended to give the Navy a decisive edge in hunting hostile submarines, conducting coastal patrols and safeguarding the nation’s vital maritime trade routes.

The officials also explained that the name of the vessel, the Mahe, is not random, but it pays homage to the historic port town of Mahe on the Malabar Coast, a place that has long been a gateway for trade and cultural exchange. The ship’s crest, featuring an urumi, the flexible sword of Kerala’s ancient martial art Kalaripayattu, reinforces the themes of flexibility, precision and lethal grace. The Naval officers have described the urumi as a perfect metaphor for the ship’s own qualities, which are swift, flexible and capable of striking with deadly accuracy.

Ahead of the commissioning ceremony, the dockyard is gearing up for an event that will be a mixture of pride and anticipation. Senior naval commander Vice‑Admiral SK Mohan, who will preside over the ceremony, said, “Mahe is more than a ship. It is a symbol of India’s determination to protect its seas with home‑grown technology. Her arrival marks a new chapter in our maritime security.” 

The crew members who will sail on the vessel spoke of the excitement of being part of a pioneering programme, while local residents in Kochi celebrated the ship’s construction as a source of employment and national pride.

The commissioning of Mahe is expected to be the first of eight such craft, each built to the same standards. The vessels, together, will form a fleet of shallow‑water combatants that are quick, stealthy and indigenously Indian.