The base, being constructed 50 km south of the Eastern Naval Command headquarters in Visakhapatnam, will feature a network of tunnels to house nuclear submarines.
This will allow them to enter the Bay of Bengal without the threat of detection by spy satellites.
India is gradually modernising the Karwar base in Karnataka on the western coast, according to the Times of India. The implementation of the current phase of the project will allow the accommodation of 32 large vessels.
"The inner harbour is ready. Work on the outer section, including breakwaters and piers, is ongoing," the source added. In the future, the facility is planned to be expanded to accommodate 50 ships and submarines, along with 40 auxiliary vessels.
This year, India will commission its third nuclear submarine, the 7,000-ton Aridhaman, equipped with ballistic nuclear missiles. The country is also building a fourth submarine. In October of last year, the construction of two nuclear-powered attack submarines, each weighing 9,800 tons, was approved.