India launched its latest warship, INS Ajay, on 21 July 2025 at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata. This warship, known as Yard 3034, is the eighth and final ship in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) series. It has been completely designed and built in India, showing the country's progress in making its own defence equipment.

In naval terms, a ship is first launched when it is placed into water for the first time after construction. This marks the completion of its main structural work. However, the ship is not yet ready for active duty -- it still needs to undergo sea trials, fittings, and tests to ensure everything works properly. Once all checks are completed and the ship is fully ready for operations, it is commissioned into the Navy. Commissioning means the ship will be officially part of the Navy's active fleet and ready to perform missions. In simple words, launching is like the ship's birth, and commissioning is when it starts its actual job.

The first ship of this series, INS Arnala, joined the Navy on 18 June 2025. The second ship, Androth, has successfully completed sea trials (tests done at sea to check the ship’s performance) and is ready to be handed over. GRSE also mentioned that Ajay was launched in less than nine months after Abhay, the seventh ship in the series.

These ships are specially made to detect and destroy enemy submarines, monitor underwater activity, and place underwater mines if needed. An official explained that the ships have a shallow bottom, which means they do not go deep into the water. This makes them perfect for patrolling close to the shore, in shallow coastal areas (places near the land where the sea is not very deep).

Ajay is equipped with modern tools like a sonar system attached to the hull and a deep sonar that can be lowered into the water to detect the low sounds made by submarines. These warships are 77.6 meters long and 10.5 meters wide, and are powered by diesel engines and waterjets, allowing them to move fast and smoothly even in shallow waters.

They are armed with:

* Anti-submarine rocket launchers

* Lightweight torpedoes

* A 30 mm naval gun

* 12.7 mm machine guns

* An advanced ASW combat suite

* Hull-mounted sonar and low-frequency variable depth sonar

These systems help the ship find and fight underwater threats effectively. The ship can reach a top speed of 25 knots (about 46 km/h) and can travel up to 3,300 km during one mission without needing to refuel.

In addition to hunting submarines, these ships also act as pathfinders for larger Navy ships, helping them move safely in and out of ports by clearing any hidden dangers underwater.

The launch of INS Ajay is a major step in India's journey toward self-reliance in defense production. With over 80% of the ship's parts made in India, it reflects the success of the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India campaigns. These ships will strengthen India's ability to protect its interests in the Indian Ocean region.

The ASW Shallow Water Craft series is built to guard the coastline, capable of spotting enemy submarines up to 100–150 nautical miles (around 185 to 280 kilometers) from shore. They can work in waters as shallow as 30–40 meters, making them ideal for stopping submarines trying to approach ports or attack bigger Navy ships close to land.

India is boosting its coastal defences at a time when China operates over 70 submarines, and Pakistan is adding 8 new submarines from China -- with four being built in Karachi and the rest in China. In response, India is fast-tracking the use of powerful anti-submarine ships like the Ajay-class.

The name Ajay carries a special legacy. The first INS Ajay, built in 1961 by GRSE, was India's first warship made in the country, marking the beginning of Indian defence shipbuilding. Now, the new Ajay (Yard 3034) continues that proud tradition. The government-run shipbuilder GRSE says this ship reflects how far India has come in building its own warships.