The defence ministry signed contracts with two state-run shipbuilders for eight next-generation corvettes. The indigenous project will sharpen maritime security while boosting jobs and domestic manufacturing.The Rs 53,866-crore project will deliver eight indigenously designed corvettes to the Indian Navy, with five to be built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and three by Goa Shipyard over the coming years. (File photo) The defence ministry has signed contracts worth Rs 53,866 crore with two state-run shipbuilders to procure eight next-generation warships for the Indian Navy, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The acquisition is aimed at strengthening the Navy's combat capabilities, particularly in the Indian Ocean, amid China's increasing presence in the region.The contracts were signed with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd and Goa Shipyard Limited for eight corvettes equipped with advanced missiles, weapons and sensor systems. The ships will be capable of carrying out complex missions.Under the contracts, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers will build five corvettes, while Goa Shipyard will construct the remaining three, the ministry said on Monday.“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,” the ministry said, according to PTI. “The corvettes 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,” it added.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the project would boost India's shipbuilding sector by strengthening cooperation among defence public sector undertakings, private shipyards and Indian industrial partners. “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,” Singh said on social media.“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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to Make-in-India,” he said.The defence ministry said the induction of the ships would significantly improve the Navy's ability to protect maritime trade routes, conduct operations against surface vessels and submarines, strengthen coastal defence, undertake combat operations in coastal waters and carry out maritime surveillance.The Rs 53,866-crore project will deliver eight indigenously designed corvettes to the Indian Navy, with five to be built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and three by Goa Shipyard over the coming years.- Ends