MoD Inks ₹53,866-Cr Deal with GRSE, GSL to Build 8 Next-Gen Corvettes for Navy
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
New Delhi: In a big boost to Indian Navy's capability and Make-in-India, the defence ministry on Monday signed contracts worth Rs 53,866 crore with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the acquisition of eight next generation corvettes (NGCs). Under the contracts, GRSE will construct five corvettes, while GSL will construct the remaining three.
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 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. 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.
The contracts were inked in the presence of defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, according to a statement.
The NGC project will provide a significant impetus to India’s indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem by strengthening collaboration among DPSUs, private shipyards and Indian industrial partners, including MSMEs.
"The construction of these ships is expected to generate approximately 72 lakh person-days of employment in the shipyards and 460 lakh person-days in ancillary industries and MSMEs over the next ten years," the defence ministry said in the statement. 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, it added.
