[9] The frigates will form a part of the Eastern Fleet as well as the future Carrier Battle Group (CBG) of INS Vikrant.

In October 2018, Bharat Electronics signed a $777 million deal with Israel Aerospace Industries to help fulfil the Barak-8 order.

[15][16] On 28 November 2023, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) received a contract worth ₹2,956.89 crore (US$340 million) to manufacture 16 upgraded Super Rapid Gun Mounts (SRGMs) for in-service ships as well as the under construction Nilgiri-class frigates.

[21] To maintain acoustic silence, the frigate is equipped with propellers designed to have onset of cavitation at higher speeds to reduce hydrodynamic noise.

[21] In addition to the propellers, the vessel's hull also features special acoustic enclosures for some of the machinery to reduce the emission air-borne noise.

[21] The P-17A frigates are the first major class of Indian-designed warships to be built using the methodology of integrated modular construction – a manufacturing process in which multiple modules (or "blocks") of a vessel's hull are pre-assembled/pre-outfitted independently, before being aggregated for final assembly.

The upgraded guns manufactured by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) features the Strales system with DART ammunition firing capability.

The class also features two RBU-6000 (RPK-8) anti-submarine rocket launchers, capable of firing ASW projectiles to depths of up to 1,000 m (3,280 ft 10 in).

[38] The EL/M-2248 is a multi-function, phased-array radar system featuring an azimuth of 360o, with the capability to track both aerial and surface targets, at a range of over 450 km (280 mi).

[45] Shakti is equipped with wide-band electronic-support measures (ESM), electronic countermeasures (ECM), an integrated "Radar Finger Printing System (RFPS)" and a data-recording replay feature for "post-mission analysis".

[49] Under the deal, HAL was additionally sanctioned to provide comprehensive services – including the supply of spare parts, maintenance inspections and equipment overhauls.

[58] The project – consisting of the construction of the seven designated frigates over a span of five years – was formally approved by the CCS in February 2015.

[63] Construction reached a hiatus in April 2018, when the shipyard's Goliath crane, having failed to withstand strong cyclonic winds which had been travelling at around 100 km/h (62 mph).

[68] In 2021, GRSE installed a Goliath crane that had purchased from South Korea, with a lifting capacity of 250 t, thus resuming regular construction operations.

[76] Similarly to GRSE, MDL also upgraded its existing infrastructure; the shipyard augmenting its existing facilities with newer equipment, including a "Goliath" gantry crane, a module workshop, a wet basin and a "cradle assembly" shop, meant to facilitate modular construction.