In 1986, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) decided to diversify India's warship building capability, and start an alternate production line to the Godavari-class frigates that were built at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Bombay.

3 additional Godavari-class frigates were to be built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Calcutta.

The Times of India reported on 7 September 2005, that Betwa became the first Indian warship to successfully integrate indigenous combat data systems, with a wide variety of foreign/Indian weapons and sensors on board.

While Brahmaputra was the first warship to be equipped with the BEL combat data systems, it was Betwa that has validated the indigenous technology platform.

Captain C S Murthy, Commanding Officer of Betwa, stated that the integrated systems had been successfully tested to an extreme.

Vessels feature BEL's EMCCA (Electronic Modular Command & Control Applications) Action Information Organisation (AIO) system with 10 multi-function consoles using Barco MPRD 9651 display linked with a LAN (Large Area Network).

The Brahmaputra class is armed with sixteen 3M-24E (Kh-35 Uran or NATO: SS-N-25 Switchblade) anti-ship missiles (AShM), housed in four quadruple KT-184 launchers, angled at 30°, two on either side of the bridge superstructure.

Equivalent to the Harpoon Block 1C AShM, these missiles have active radar homing (ARH) out to a range of 130 km (81 mi) at 0.9 Mach, with a 145 kg (320 lb) warhead.

Fire control is provided by a BEL Aparna (modified Garpun-Bal FC, NATO: Plank Shave) radar.

The passive channel operates in the ESM mode searching for pulse and CW signals, and accurately identifying the bearing of hostile emitters from a built-in classification library of up to 1,000 signatures.

One OTO Melera Super Rapid 76 mm (3 in) main gun, for use against ship and shore targets, with 65 rounds per minute to 4.4 nautical miles (8.1 km; 5.1 mi).

Four multi-barrelled 30 mm (1.2 in) AK-630 Gatling guns on either beam, to shoot down incoming anti-ship missiles, with 5500 to 6000 rds/min to 2.5 km (1.6 mi).

Fire control for these five gun mounts are provided by two BEL Shikari (based on the Contraves Seaguard) opto-electronic trackers that operate in the I- and Ka-bands.

The latter is equipped with a surface search radar, dunking sonar and can carry two Sea Eagle AShMs or a combination of depth charges and AS-244 anti-submarine torpedoes.

On 16 October 2023, Ministry of Defence signed a contract for he mid-life upgrade of INS Beas with Cochin Shipyard Limited.