The Indian Navy has launched Machilipatnam, the seventh Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at Cochin Shipyard Limited, further strengthening India’s coastal defence capabilities and advancing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in indigenous naval shipbuilding.

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• The Indian Navy launched Machilipatnam (BY 529), the seventh of eight Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, on 29 July 2026.
• The vessel has been built by Cochin Shipyard Limited with more than 80% indigenous content, reflecting India’s growing self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• Machilipatnam is named after the historic port city in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, recognising its rich maritime heritage and longstanding role in India’s eastern coastal trade.
• The warship is designed to undertake Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Underwater Surveillance, Mine Warfare, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), significantly enhancing India’s coastal security.
• The induction of the vessel will strengthen Maritime Domain Awareness, improve underwater threat detection, and enhance the Navy’s capability to safeguard India’s vast coastline and strategic maritime interests.
• The launch marks another milestone in the Mahe-class ASW-SWC Project, under which eight indigenous shallow-water anti-submarine warfare vessels are being constructed for the Indian Navy.
• Earlier in July 2026, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Malvan, the second Mahe-class ASW-SWC, continuing the induction of next-generation indigenous coastal warfare platforms.
• The Mahe-class project demonstrates India’s expanding expertise in warship design, naval engineering, and indigenous defence production, strengthening operational preparedness in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).