Defence Ministry signs ₹53,866 crore deal for eight warships
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and Goa Shipyard Limited will build the Next Generation Corvettes for the Indian Navy.
The Defence Ministry signed contracts worth ₹53,866.50 crore on Monday for the construction of eight Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) for the Indian Navy. According to The Hindu, the agreement was signed at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
Under the terms of the deal, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) will build five corvettes, while Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) will construct the remaining three. This project is the first instance where warships designed by the Indian Navy will be built by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) chosen through competitive bidding.
The new vessels will feature advanced weaponry, missiles, and sensor suites. These systems will allow the Navy to operate across sub-surface, surface, and air domains to protect trade routes and conduct maritime surveillance, coastal defence, and anti-submarine warfare.
The Ministry said the project will support the government's aatmanirbharta and Make in India initiatives by using domestic technology and materials. It will involve DPSUs, private shipyards, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Over the next 10 years, the construction programme is expected to create 72 lakh person-days of employment in shipyards. An additional 460 lakh person-days of work are expected to be generated within ancillary industries and MSMEs.