Indian Navy officers attend the ceremony to commission the latest multi-role stealth guided missile frigate INS Tushil at the Yantar shipyard, in Kaliningrad, Russia. (Sputnik)

India’s latest multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate, INS Tushil, built in Russia for the Indian Navy, was officially commissioned on Monday during a ceremony in Kaliningrad. The event was attended by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, along with the chiefs of the Indian and Russian navies, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi and Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev.

INS Tushil, meaning "the protector shield", is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate under the Project 1135.6 series. The Indian Navy already operates six vessels of this class: three Talwar-class frigates built in St. Petersburg at the Baltisky shipyard and three constructed at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad.

Tushil is the seventh frigate of Project 1135.6, highlighting the reliability of these vessels and India’s trust in Russia's defense capabilities, according to a statement from the United Shipbuilding Corporation.

Indian Defense Ministry officials highlighted that an Indian team of specialists closely supervised the frigate's construction. Following its completion, the ship underwent rigorous trials starting in January of this year, such as ensuring that all Russian equipment fit onboard, including weapon firings.

On India-Russia shipbuilding cooperation

Upon joining the Indian Navy's Western Fleet under the Western Naval Command, Tushil will rank among the world's most advanced frigates, symbolizing both the Navy's growing capabilities and the strong India-Russia defense partnership.

Designed by Russia's Severnoye Design Bureau, the 125-meter-long, 3,900-ton frigate blends advanced Russian and Indian technologies in warship construction. Tushil is the first of two frigates ordered by India in 2016, with the second, INS Tamal, undergoing tests in the Baltic Sea and expected to join the Navy in 2025. Two additional vessels from the same project are being built at Goa Shipyard Limited in India, incorporating Russian technology.

The INS Tushil project reflects the principles of India’s "Make in India" initiative, with increasing integration of Indian shipbuilding systems, as noted by the Russian Defense Ministry. The frigate features the BrahMos supersonic missile system, developed by the Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace. Indigenous content on the ship has reached 26%, with the number of India-made systems more than doubling.

Alexander Mikheev, head of Rosoboronexport, highlighted the raising of the Indian flag on INS Tushil as a significant milestone in Russian-Indian military cooperation. He also revealed that Rosoboronexport is involved in around 10 joint naval projects in India and is exploring further collaborations.

Indian-Russian trade

In terms of trade, New Delhi has become a prominent purchaser of Russian maritime oil amid Western sanctions on Moscow. Trade between India and Russia surged to $65.7 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2024, a notable 33% rise from the preceding year.

India and Russia are reportedly working together to ensure year-round access to the Northern Sea Route, which spans Russia's northern coast and serves as the shortest shipping route between East Asia and Europe. Their goal is to enhance the transportation of goods to emerging markets by utilizing trade routes effectively.

Moreover, both nations aim to increase their trade volumes by utilizing the Vladivostok-Chennai maritime route, which connects Russia's Far East with southern India.

To strengthen bilateral ties, New Delhi is actively pursuing an investment treaty with Moscow, and is exploring the option of signing a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, led by Russia.

Furthermore, discussions are underway between India and Russia regarding potential collaboration in military equipment production.