3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Nov 2, 2026 02:19 PM ISTThe eight next-generation corvettes will complement the Indian Navy's existing four Kamorta-class corvettes. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)Days after the Cabinet Committee on Security greenlighted the project, the Ministry of Defence on Monday signed contracts worth Rs 53,866.50 crore with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) to acquire eight next-generation corvettes for the Indian Navy.This is the first project in which the ships will be indigenously designed by the Indian Navy and constructed by defence public sector undertakings (PSUs) selected through a competitive process, marking a major milestone in India’s indigenous warship design and construction capabilities, the ministry said in a statement.While GRSE will build five corvettes, GSL will build the remaining three.According to the ministry, 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.Welcoming the deal, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on X, “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.”Also Read | Centre clears project worth Rs 40,000 crore for 8 next-gen stealth warships“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 ministry stated.The project will also give an impetus to India’s indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem by strengthening collaboration among defence PSUs, private shipyards, and Indian industrial partners, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).Story continues below this adAlso Read | Navy to lease two new MQ-9B Sea Guardian unmanned aircraft from US firmThe project is intended to create a versatile combat platform that can perform a variety of roles, including anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance and reconnaissance, search-and-attack missions, and coastal and littoral defence, among other deterrence and maritime security operations.The Defence Acquisition Council granted acceptance of necessity for the project at an approximate cost of Rs 36,000 crore in June 2022.The ministry inked the contracts in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdAmrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Ind... Read More AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement