In a first, MoD awards ₹53,866 cr indigenous corvette contracts to GRSE & GSL via competitive bidding

The two contracts were inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and senior officials from the DPSUs and MoD. | Photo Credit: @SpokespersonMoD/X

In a maiden maritime project conceived, designed and to be produced indigenously through competitive bidding, the Ministry of Defence has signed contracts worth ₹53,866.50 crore with defence PSUs, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), for the acquisition of eight Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) for the Indian Navy, adding to its combat capabilities during growing maritime insecurities.

The GRSE will construct five corvettes, while GSL the remaining three, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement 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 (DPSUs) selected through a competitive process, the Ministry stated.

The two contracts were inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and senior officials from the DPSUs and MoD.

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 MoD stated that 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 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, said the MoD.

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-led government’s commitment to Make-in-India.

Published on November 2, 2026