NEW DELHI, Aug. 24 -- The Indian Navy will bolster its capabilities in the Indian Ocean region with the induction of two locally made warships in Visakhapatnam next week, strengthening its hold on the vast maritime expanse where China is seeking to expand its footprint, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday. The Project 17A stealth frigates Udaygiri and Himgiri will be commissioned into service simultaneously on August 26 in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh, the officials said. The navy inducted the first of the seven P-17A warships, INS Nilgiri, in January. Taragiri, Mahendragiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri will be commissioned by August-September 2026. "India's steady rise as a maritime power is unfolding in real time, driven by strategic vision, industrial resolve and an unwavering push for self-reliance. A striking manifestation of this transformation is the construction and commissioning of the Nilgiri-class stealth frigates under P-17A, the most advanced surface combatants of the Indian Navy," said one of the officials cited above, asking not to be named. P8...