[4] According to Admiral Nirmal Verma, Shakti would significantly add to the Indian Navy's ability to conduct and sustain operations distant from the coast.

[9] To help prevent accidental oil spills, the ship features a double hull configuration in compliance with MARPOL 73/78.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India had questioned why the order was not given to Rosoboronexport, which had offered to use military grade steel for the construction of the tankers.

[12] India Today reported that the Defence Minister of the succeeding government, Manohar Parrikar, had ordered a probe into the matter.

The second Shakti, a large ship built by the German shipyard Bremer Vulkan,[17] was commissioned on 21 February 1976 and decommissioned on 21 July 2007, after more than 31 years of naval service.

During these exercises, the ship replenished the USS Carl Vinson, the flagship of the US Navy's Carrier Strike Group 1.

[18][19] In May 2012, the Shakti, as part of a battle group of four ships, began a sustained operational deployment to the South China Sea and the North West Pacific Ocean.

These exercises aimed to increase naval inter-operability, enabling the two navies to function with enhanced coordination during possible HADR operations.

Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command also visited Tokyo to witness the first JIMEX.

[25][26] As part of India's Look East policy, the ships visited Shanghai Port on 13 June 2012, for a five-day goodwill tour.

The ships left the port on 17 June 2012,[28] after having conducted routine passage exercises with the People's Liberation Army Navy.

This was the last port call of the battle group, after which it returned to the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy, after being on a two-month-long deployment which started in May 2012.

[20][31][32] The Shakti was part of a seven-ship fleet which represented Eastern Naval Command at the Indian Navy's annual TROPEX exercise which concluded on 1 March 2013.

[34][35] The ship was part of a four-vessel fleet on a regular operational deployment to the South China Sea and the Western Pacific during May–June 2013, after departure from India on 20 May 2013.

They were joined by the Satpura and Kirch, which arrived from Singapore after participating in a maritime exhibition and a bilateral naval exercise.

[36][37][38] The ships conducted passage exercises and practiced both conventional wartime drills and cooperative military action against unconventional sea threats with the Malaysian Navy.

[46][47] The Shakti deployed with other ships of the Eastern Fleet to the Andaman & Nicobar Command, to exercise in the Andaman Sea and then deployed overseas to exercise with other navies of the region from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand and Australia, as part of India's Act East policy.

[49][50] The ships made port calls at Jakarta (Indonesia), Fremantle (Australia), Kuantan (Malaysia), Sattahip (Thailand) and Sihanoukville (Cambodia).

[48] From 11 to 19 September, the Shakti participated in the inaugural edition of the AUSINDEX exercise between the Indian and Royal Australian Navy.

[56] On 21 June, the Shakti, Sahyadri and Kirch arrived at Busan, without the Satpura, for a four day visit under the command of the FOCEF, Rear Admiral SV Bhokare.

[58] The Shakti and Kamorta made a port call at Makassar in Indonesia under the command of Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, FOC Eastern Fleet.

[64] The Shakti and the Kolkata then sailed to Qingdao Port on April 23 for an international fleet review as part of the celebrations of the Chinese Navy's 70th anniversary.

[65] The two ships then arrived at Busan Port on April 28 for 3 days to participate in ADMM PLUS, the apex defence meet of ASEAN countries.

The Australian and Japanese navies also attended the exercise, held in the Bay of Bengal from 3 to 6 November.

[70] The Shakti refuelled three ships at the same time, namely the destroyers USS John S. McCain and the JS Ōnami, as well as the frigate HMAS Ballarat as part of a replenishment at sea exercise.

[74] The Shakti participated in the 2022 edition of the Milan naval exercise and refuelled the Australian frigate HMAS Arunta.

[77] The Shakti participated in the 2024 edition of the Milan naval exercise which took place off the coast of Visakhaptnam from 19 to 27 February.

On 6 May the flotilla arrived in Singapore for a three day visit as part of an operational deployment of the Navy's Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea.

Officers from both navies participated in subject matter expert exchanges, yoga and sports events, as well as cross deck visits.

[84][85] On 9 October the 2024 edition of the Malabar exercises began in the Bay of Bengal off Visakhapatnam, with navies and special ops forces from all Quad countries participating.