Defence min inks Rs 53,866cr deal with GRSE & GSL for 8 next-gen corvettes for Navy

The Indian Defence Ministry signed contracts with two shipyards for constructing eight next generation corvettes.NEW DELHI: In a big push to self-reliance in warship manufacturing, the defence ministry on Monday signed contracts worth Rs 53,866.5 crore with two shipyards — Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) — for the acquisition of eight next generation corvettes (NGCs) for the Indian Navy. Under the contracts, GRSE will construct five corvettes, while GSL will construct the remaining three.The project marks a significant milestone in India's indigenous warship design and construction capabilities, as it is the first project in which the ships will be indigenously designed by the Indian Navy and constructed by defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) selected through a competitive process. The contracts were inked in the presence of defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.A corvette in the Indian Navy is a small, fast and heavily-armed warship ranked just below a frigate in size. Such agile warships are meant for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and coastal defence. They perform maritime surveillance, search-and-attack operations, escort duties for larger fleet ships, and patrol missions. The Indian Navy currently operates 18 to 24 corvettes in active service.The NGCs will be equipped with state-of-the-art capabilities, including advanced missiles, weapons and sensor suites, enabling them to undertake missions across the air, surface and sub-surface domains, a defence ministry’s release said.Welcoming the move, defence minister Rajnath Singh posted on X, “Great news for India’s indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem. The NGC project for the Indian Navy will provide a significant impetus to India’s shipbuilding sector by strengthening collaboration among DPSUs, private shipyards and Indian industrial partners, including MSMEs. The construction of these ships will generate approximately 72 lakh person-days of employment in the shipyards and 460 lakh person-days in ancillary industries and MSMEs over the next 10 years.”“By promoting the use of made-in-India materials and equipment, indigenous technologies, and Indian skills and expertise, the project represents a major step towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing and reinforces PM Shri Narendra Modi’s commitment to make in India,” he further posted.The induction of these ships will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s operational capabilities in safeguarding maritime trade routes, conducting anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations, strengthening coastal defence, undertaking littoral combat operations, and carrying out maritime presence and surveillance missions.