MoD signs Rs 53,866.50 crore contracts for eight Next Generation Corvettes
New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth Rs 53,866.50 crore with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on 2 November 2026 for eight Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) for the Indian Navy. Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh witnessed the signing at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi. Under the contracts, GRSE will build five corvettes, while GSL will build the remaining three.
The project marks a significant milestone in India’s indigenous warship design and construction capabilities. It is the first project in which the Indian Navy will design the ships indigenously. Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), selected through a competitive process, will construct them.
The Next Generation Corvettes will carry state-of-the-art capabilities, including advanced missiles, weapons and sensor suites. These will enable them to undertake missions across the air, surface and sub-surface domains. Their induction will significantly enhance the Navy’s operational capabilities in several areas. These include safeguarding maritime trade routes, conducting anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations, and strengthening coastal defence. The ships will also support littoral combat operations, maritime presence and surveillance missions.
Next Generation Corvettes to boost shipbuilding and jobs
The project will give a significant impetus to India’s indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem. It will strengthen 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. It is also expected to generate 460 lakh person-days in ancillary industries and MSMEs over the next ten years.
By promoting Made-in-India materials and equipment, indigenous technologies, and Indian skills and expertise, the project represents a major step towards Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing. It also reinforces the commitment of the Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Make-in-India.
