India Signs ₹53,866 Crore Deal for Eight Indigenous Corvettes

The Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth approximately ₹53,866 crore on November 2, 2026, for the construction of eight Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) for the Indian Navy. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited will construct five vessels, while Goa Shipyard Limited will build three. These warships will replace the aging Khukri and Kora classes, with the first ship expected by 2030.

This project marks the first time the Indian Navy has indigenously designed ships to be constructed by defence public sector undertakings. The corvettes will be equipped with advanced sensors, helicopter-operating capabilities, and a weapons suite including torpedo tubes and medium-range anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles. These capabilities are intended to bolster coastal defence, anti-submarine warfare, and the protection of maritime trade routes, particularly in the Indian Ocean amid increasing Chinese activity.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated the project supports the Make-in-India and Aatmanirbharta initiatives. The government expects the procurement to generate 72 lakh person-days of employment in shipyards and 460 lakh person-days in ancillary industries and MSMEs over the next decade.