When it comes to building warships, China is sailing far ahead of India

India has just one aircraft carrier against China's two; just 10 destroyers against China's 42 larger vessels; just 13 frigates against the PLA(N)'s 44; and barely 28 corvettes against China's 71

On Thursday, the naval chief, Admiral Karambir Singh, will commission INS Vela, the fourth Scorpene-class conventional submarine built by Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai (MDL) under Project 75I.

This comes just four days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned INS Visakhapatnam, the first destroyer that MDL has completed under the so-called Project 15B.

In March, MDL had delivered INS Karanj – the third Scorpene submarine of its class. That took the number of indigenously-built capital warships commissioned this year to three – a figure not surpassed over the preceding decade.

Even so, navy admirals are bemused over the euphoria at this