Tamal: India's last Imported Warship

India is set to commission Tamal, a stealth frigate under construction in Russia, which will be India’s last warship to be imported or commissioned outside the country.
 

Going forward, India will fully design and construct its own warships, reflecting its transformation into a builder’s navy.
 

Background: The Frigate Deal
 

1. The ship is part of a broader Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) signed between India and Russia in October 2016 for four additional follow-on stealth frigates.
2. Key details of the deal:
   1. Two ships to be imported from Russia.
   2. Two ships to be constructed in India by Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL) under a technology transfer arrangement.

• All four ships under this project are powered by engines from Zorya Nashproekt, Ukraine.

3. A $1 billion deal was signed for the two frigates under direct purchase from Russia.
    

The First Import Under the Deal: INS Tushil
 

1. INS Tushil, the first frigate built in Russia under the deal, was commissioned on December 9, 2024, in Kaliningrad.
2. The ship reached its home port at Karwar on February 14, 2025, after an extensive journey:
   1. Sailed over 12,500 nautical miles
   2. Visited eight countries across three continents

 

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