"Indian Navy focus is to remain combat-ready, credible, cohesive, future-ready force": Admiral Tripathi

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 3 (ANI): Highlighting India's growing naval strength and self-reliance, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi announced on Friday that the commissioning of the warship 'Taragiri' marks a significant step in enhancing the Indian Navy's operational capabilities.
Emphasising a vision of a combat-ready and future-ready force, he noted that the Navy has commissioned 12 ships, one submarine, and an aircraft squadron over the past year.
"The Indian Navy's focus is clear: to continue to be a combat-ready, credible, cohesive and future-ready force," Admiral Tripathi said.
"Under this goal, with the help of the defence ministry, the Indian Navy has commissioned 12 ships, one submarine and one aircraft squadron since last year. Today's commissioning will strengthen the Indian Navy's operational reach, presence and responsiveness. With its strong combat capabilities and state-of-the-art systems, 'Taragiri' is a symbol of India's increasing self-reliance. This ship has more than 75% indigenous content. The construction of this platform was completed in approximately 15% less time than that of the other ships of its kind," he said.
The advanced stealth frigate INS Taragiri was formally commissioned into the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, in a ceremony attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and other senior naval officers.
Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the Navy's crucial role in safeguarding India's maritime interests, saying it protects critical sea lanes, choke points, and digital infrastructure, and ensures the security of commercial ships and oil tankers during times of tension.
He noted that the Navy maintains a continuous presence from the Persian Gulf to the Malacca Strait and is always at the forefront during crises, including evacuations and humanitarian assistance.
Singh stressed that India's development and energy security are closely tied to the seas, making a strong Navy essential.
He congratulated the Indian Navy and Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited on the commissioning of INS Taragiri, calling it a symbol of India's growing maritime power.
The induction of Taragiri comes at a time when the strategic and maritime importance of India's eastern seaboard continues to grow, driven by evolving regional security dynamics and India's deepening engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
The commissioning of Taragiri highlights the Navy's sustained focus on strengthening its combat readiness and operational might through its ambitious fleet augmentation programme.
As the fourth potent platform of the Project 17A class, Taragiri is not merely a ship; it is a 6,670-tonne embodiment of the 'Make in India' spirit and the sophisticated engineering capabilities of our indigenous shipyards.
Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, this Frigate represents a generational leap over earlier designs, offering a sleeker form and a significantly reduced Radar Cross-Section that allows it to operate with lethal stealth. With indigenous content exceeding 75 per cent, the ship highlights the maturity of a domestic industrial ecosystem that now spans over 200 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), contributing to the GoI's Aatmanirbharta initiatives supports thousands of Indian jobs. (ANI)