|
The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts worth Rs 53,866.50 crore with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the construction of eight Next Generation Corvettes for the Indian Navy.
The contracts 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. The project marks an important step in India's indigenous warship design and construction capabilities, as the vessels will be designed by the Indian Navy and constructed by defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) selected through a competitive process. The Ministry of Defence said the project would strengthen India's domestic shipbuilding ecosystem by bringing together defence public sector companies, private shipyards and Indian industrial partners, including micro, small and medium enterprises (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," the Ministry said in its statement. The project is expected to provide employment opportunities across shipyards and supporting industries over the next decade, while increasing the participation of Indian companies in defence manufacturing. The Next Generation Corvettes will be equipped with advanced missiles, weapons and sensor systems, allowing them to undertake operations across air, surface and sub-surface domains. According to the Ministry, the induction of these ships will strengthen the Indian Navy's ability to safeguard maritime trade routes, conduct anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations, and improve coastal defence. The vessels will also support littoral combat operations, maritime presence and surveillance missions, enhancing the Navy's operational capabilities. The Ministry said the project would promote the use of Made-in-India materials and equipment, indigenous technologies and Indian skills and expertise. It added that the programme represents a major step towards achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing and strengthening the country's domestic industrial capabilities. The project is also expected to deepen collaboration between defence public sector undertakings, private shipyards and MSMEs, giving a boost to India's indigenous shipbuilding industry. The Ministry said the contract was aligned with the government's commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India in the defence sector. (ANI)
|
