INS Malvan commissioned into Indian Navy
Indigenously built Mahe-class anti-submarine craft add to India’s coastal warfare and littoral security capability
- The Indian Navy uses shallow-water anti-submarine craft to improve detection and response in coastal and littoral waters.
- Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi, built INS Malvan as part of India’s domestic defence shipbuilding ecosystem.
- The commissioning of INS Malvan is linked to the protection of sea lines of communication, coastal defence, and Maritime Domain Awareness.
What happened
INS Malvan was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Karwar on 22 July 2026. The ship is the second Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) and was built indigenously by Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi.
The commissioning was attended by senior military and naval leadership, including the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, and Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.
UPSC can frame INS Malvan around the role of shallow-water anti-submarine craft in coastal security, the logic of indigenous defence production, and the strategic importance of securing sea lines of communication. A mains answer can link capability-building with Aatmanirbhar Bharat, littoral warfare, and tri-service jointness.
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