India Signs Rs 53,866 Crore Deal For Eight Next Generation Navy Corvettes

Representative photo: A naval warship at sea (Pexels / jason hu)

India has signed one of its biggest indigenous warship deals ever. The Ministry of Defence on Monday signed contracts worth Rs 53,866.50 crore for eight Next Generation Corvettes for the Indian Navy, a major push for self-reliance in warship design and construction.

The contracts were signed in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, just days after the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the project. Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers will build five of the warships, while Goa Shipyard Limited will build the remaining three. The first ship is expected to be delivered by 2030.

A First For Indian Warship Building

What makes this deal historic is who designed the ships. This is the first project in which warships are indigenously designed by the Indian Navy itself and constructed by defence public sector shipyards selected through a competitive process. Garden Reach emerged as the lowest bidder in May last year.

The project traces back to June 2022, when the Defence Acquisition Council granted acceptance of necessity at an approximate cost of Rs 36,000 crore. The final contract value of Rs 53,866.50 crore works out to around Rs 6,733 crore per ship.

Stealth Warships For Every Kind Of Warfare

The Next Generation Corvettes are multi-role stealth warships, built to fight in the air, on the surface and under water. Unlike the ageing single-role missile corvettes they will replace, they can take on anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance and reconnaissance, search-and-attack missions, and coastal and littoral defence.

Their armament includes a 76 mm super rapid gun mount made by BHEL, eight surface-to-surface missiles, 24 anti-missile defence weapons and two triple 324 mm torpedo tubes. With a speed of around 30 knots and advanced missiles, weapons and sensor suites, they are designed for deterrence and maritime security operations across all three domains.

The new ships will replace the Khukri-class corvettes, of which INS Kuthar and INS Khanjar remain in service, along with the four Kora-class vessels still with the Navy. The Navy currently operates around 18 to 24 corvettes in active service.

Jobs And A Boost For Shipbuilding

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh welcomed the deal, saying it will give a significant impetus to India's shipbuilding sector. 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 ten years.

That employment ripple effect is a big part of the story. Every warship built at home supports steel suppliers, electronics firms, small workshops and skilled workers far beyond the two shipyards.

Why This Matters

For years, India imported a large share of its naval hardware. Deals like this one show a shift: design at home, build at home, and keep the technology and jobs in the country. As the Navy modernises its fleet, indigenous corvettes give it flexible, stealthy ships for protecting India's long coastline and sea lanes.

Conclusion

From a first-of-its-kind Navy-designed blueprint to eight stealth warships worth nearly Rs 54,000 crore, this deal marks a milestone for Aatmanirbhar Bharat at sea. The first ship arrives by 2030, but the jobs, skills and shipbuilding capacity it creates will last far longer.

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