Kolkata: Reinforcing its commitment towards maintaining delivery schedules, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd laid the keel of the 3rd Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) on Friday, April 11, 2025. GRSE is building four NGOPVs for the Indian Navy. The Chief Guest at the occasion was SG Dastidar, Financial Adviser (Defence Services), Ministry of Defence.
Among the others present at the keel-laying ceremony were Cmde P R Hari, IN (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, RK Dash, Director (Finance), GRSE, Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN(Retd), Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE, DIG Subrato Ghosh, ICG(Retd), Director (Personnel), GRSE, Abhishek Ranjan, IOFS, CVO, GRSE, and senior officials of GRSE and Indian Navy.
‘Keel Laying’ of two ships of the project has already been completed and GRSE has also started construction of the fourth NGOPV. This has been possible as GRSE has adopted the advanced modular shipbuilding technology, that allows ships to be built in blocks that are then brought together.
GRSE is presently building 40 platforms. Of these, 17 are for the Indian Navy. The first in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWCs), being built by the shipyard for the Navy, is ready for delivery. The INS Himgiri, first in a series of three Advanced Guided Missile Frigates, being built by GRSE for the Navy, and the second ASWSWC have successfully completed their Contractor Sea Trials.
The NGOPVs will be far more advanced than the OPVs built in the past. They will be much larger, and have greater endurance and firepower. These platforms will be about 113 metres long and 14.6 metres wide, with a displacement of 3,000 Tons. The NGOPVs will achieve speeds of up to 23 knots. Their endurance will be 8,500 nautical miles at a speed of 14 knots. The crew will comprise 24 officers and over 100 sailors.
The NGOPVs will play a variety of roles. With a draught requirement of only 4 metres, they would be able to operate in coastal waters, protecting offshore assets, carrying out maritime interdiction, as well as visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations. They will also be part of presence-cum-surveillance missions and mine warfare while having the capability to support special operations.
These warships will also participate in ‘Out of Area’ Contingency Operations, non-combatant evacuation, convoy operations, anti-piracy missions and counter-infiltration operations. Apart from these, they will take on poachers and traffickers, and participate in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as search and rescue missions.
They will also be able to operate as hospital and COMINT ships apart from providing fleet maintenance support.
S.G. Dastidar, Financial Adviser (Defence Services), Ministry of Defence, commended GRSE for its capability in delivering advanced platforms to the country’s maritime defence forces. He said that the vessel is a Next-Generation multi-role warship, among the first of its kind ordered by the Navy and once delivered, will rank among the most advanced in its class globally. He remarked that it is a matter of pride that an Indian shipyard can now build such platforms, which seemed unlikely just a couple of decades ago.
Cmde P R Hari, IN (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, GRSE, spoke on how the Organisation – now a Schedule A Company – has registered a record turnover in 2024-25, reflecting the company’s growth momentum.
2025-26 will be a busy year for GRSE, he said, with several deliveries planned including ships of the P17A, Survey Vessel and ASWSWC projects.
