India's first modern conventional submarine, INS Kalvari, was inducted into the Navy on Thursday, a first in almost two decades.

Putting it into commission in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the efforts of the Navy for its role from disaster management to combating piracy. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Peace in Indian Ocean, which is the lifeline of global trade is better off with INS Kalvari and her follow on submarines."

Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines that will be handed over by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) to the Navy. The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, are being built by MDL in Mumbai as part of Project-75 of the Navy.

“Kalvari is a potent Man o’ War capable of undertaking offensive operations spanning across the entire spectrum of Maritime Warfare. She embodies cutting-edge technology and compares favourably with the best in the world,” the Navy said in a statement on Wednesday.

Kalvari, named after a deep sea tiger shark, weighs about 1,600 tonnes and carries the sea skimming SM 39 Exocet missiles and the heavyweight wire guided Surface and Underwater Target (SUT) torpedoes. For self-defence, it has mobile anti-torpedo decoys.

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding of the Western Naval Command and top defence officials attended the ceremony.