India Signs Rs 53,866 Cr Deal for Eight Next-Gen Navy Corvettes
GRSE to build five warships and GSL three under the indigenous shipbuilding programme, with employment expected to rise across shipyards and MSMEs
- Defence Ministry signs Rs 53,866.50 crore contracts for eight Navy corvettes.
- GRSE will build five warships, while GSL will construct three.
- Warships will feature advanced missiles, weapons and sensor systems.
- Project expected to generate 532 lakh person-days of employment over 10 years.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 2nd Nov: India has taken another step towards strengthening its indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities, with the Ministry of Defence signing contracts worth Rs 53,866.50 crore with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for eight Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) for the Indian Navy.
The contracts were signed on Monday at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi, in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
Under the agreement, GRSE will construct five corvettes, while GSL will build the remaining three. The project marks a first for India’s warship construction programme, with the vessels to be designed indigenously by the Indian Navy and built by Defence Public Sector Undertakings selected through a competitive process.
Advanced capabilities for maritime security
The Next Generation Corvettes will feature advanced missiles, weapons systems and sensor suites, enabling operations across air, surface and sub-surface domains.
The warships are expected to strengthen the Navy’s ability to protect maritime trade routes, conduct anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, reinforce coastal defence and undertake littoral combat operations. They will also support maritime surveillance and sustained presence missions.
Major boost to indigenous defence industry
The project is expected to strengthen India’s shipbuilding ecosystem by bringing together defence public sector undertakings, private shipyards, industrial partners and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
According to the Defence Ministry, construction of the eight vessels is expected to generate approximately 72 lakh person-days of employment in shipyards and another 460 lakh person-days in ancillary industries and MSMEs over the next 10 years.
The programme will also promote the use of Made-in-India materials, equipment, indigenous technologies and domestic expertise, supporting the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
The contract marks another major investment in domestic naval manufacturing, with the project expected to expand industrial participation and strengthen India’s capacity to design and build advanced warships.
