The Next Generation Corvettes contract, worth ₹53,866.50 crore, has been signed by the Ministry of Defence with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
The contracts cover the construction of eight warships for the Indian Navy. They were signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi on Monday.
Under the agreement, GRSE will construct five corvettes, while GSL will build the remaining three.
GRSE and GSL to build eight Navy corvettes
The project marks the first time that warships indigenously designed by the Indian Navy will be constructed by defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) selected through a competitive process, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The corvettes will feature advanced missiles, weapons and sensor suites. These capabilities will enable operations across air, surface and sub-surface domains.
The ships will support maritime trade route security, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations, coastal defence and littoral combat missions. They will also undertake maritime surveillance and presence operations.
Project to generate 72 lakh person-days in shipyards
The project is expected to strengthen India’s domestic shipbuilding ecosystem through collaboration among DPSUs, private shipyards and Indian industrial partners, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
According to the ministry, construction of the eight corvettes is expected to generate approximately 72 lakh person-days of employment in shipyards over the next ten years.
Ancillary industries and MSMEs are expected to generate another 460 lakh person-days during the same period.
Indigenous manufacturing push under Make in India
The project will promote the use of domestically manufactured materials and equipment, indigenous technologies and Indian technical expertise.
The ministry said the initiative would strengthen domestic defence manufacturing capabilities and support the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India objectives.
The contracts also mark an expansion of the role of Indian shipyards and industrial partners in the design and construction of naval platforms.
