New Delhi, 2 November 2026: The Defense Ministry has signed a contract worth Rs 53,866.50 crore with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the acquisition of eight Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) for the Indian Navy. These agreements were signed on November 02, 2026 in the presence of Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi.
Under these contracts, GRSE will build five corvettes, while GSL will build the remaining three ships. The project marks a significant milestone in India's indigenous warship design and construction capabilities; Because this is the first project of its kind in which the ships will be designed indigenously by the Indian Navy and built by Defense Sector Public Enterprises (DPSUs) selected through a competitive process.
The NGCs will be equipped with state-of-the-art capabilities, including advanced missiles, weapons and sensor suites. This will enable them to conduct missions in three areas: air, surface and underwater. The induction of these ships will significantly increase the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy. They will play an important role in securing maritime trade routes, conducting anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations, strengthening coastal security, conducting combat operations in coastal areas and maintaining maritime presence and surveillance.
The NGC project will significantly accelerate India's indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem by strengthening collaboration between Indian industrial partners including DPSUs, private shipyards and MSMEs. The construction of these ships is expected to generate employment of about 72 lakh man-days in shipyards and 460 lakh man-days in supporting industries and MSMEs in the next ten years.
By promoting the use of Made-in-India materials and equipment, indigenous technology and Indian skills and expertise, this project represents a major step towards achieving self-reliance in defense manufacturing and further strengthens the commitment of the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Make-in-India.