Indian Navy's 1st indigenously designed warships to be built
What's the story
The Indian Ministry of Defence has signed contracts worth ₹53,866.50 crore (approximately $6.4 billion) with two state-owned shipyards to construct eight Next Generation Corvettes for the Indian Navy. The project is a landmark achievement for India's shipbuilding industry as it is the first time that the Indian Navy has designed warships in-house, which will then be constructed by defense public-sector undertakings selected through competition.
Shipbuilders
Contracts signed with GRSE and GSL
The contracts were signed in New Delhi on Monday with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
Under the agreement, GRSE will build five of the eight corvettes while GSL will construct three.
The project is expected to create around 72 lakh person-days of employment in shipyards and another 460 lakh person-days in allied industries and micro, small and medium enterprises over the next decade.
Indigenous manufacturing
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has hailed the project as a major step toward achieving Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defense manufacturing.
He said it would give a huge boost to India's indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem by enhancing synergy among Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), private shipyards, and Indian industry partners, including MSMEs.
The corvettes will be equipped with advanced missiles, weapons, and sensors to tackle air, surface, and underwater threats.
Naval strength
Corvettes expected to be inducted into service from around 2030
The corvettes are expected to bolster the Navy's ability to secure sea lanes, conduct anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, protect coastlines, operate in shallow waters and provide surveillance and deterrence.
They are likely to be inducted into service from around 2030.
Their induction will increase the Navy's fleet of smaller, agile surface combatants at a time when New Delhi is striving for greater self-reliance in military hardware by 2047.