Cabinet Committee approves ₹40,000 crore project for eight new warships for Indian Navy

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a massive project worth over ₹40,000 crore to build eight Next-Generation Corvettes warships for the Indian Navy. According to a report by The Economic Times, the warships to be built under this project will feature indigenous stealth designs, which will strengthen India's maritime security and domestic defense manufacturing capabilities.

All eight warships to be constructed under this important project will be built by two major public sector companies. These include Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, agreements for construction with both these companies are likely to be finalized in the next few days.

The biggest feature of this project is that more than 70% of the material for these warships will be made in India itself. This will give a boost to defense manufacturing in the country and further strengthen the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign. This project will also support the government's 'SAGAR vision'. According to defense sources, this is the first major defense scheme to receive approval at the highest level of the government in recent times.

Providing information on the timeline for the construction of the new warships, reports state that construction of the first ship is expected to begin within a year. All eight of these warships will be built on Indian soil. According to The Economic Times, the first ship is targeted to be handed over to the Navy by 2030. According to the report by Dainik Bhaskar, efforts are also being made to reduce the construction timeframe and delivery of these warships is expected to begin in the next 4 to 5 years.

The Indian Navy is currently facing growing security challenges in the Indian Ocean, due to which it is modernizing its fleet. Keeping in mind the increasing presence of China in particular in this region, the Navy is enhancing its strength. This project will increase the Navy's power and promote the process of building warships in the country.

The Navy's other warship building plans also include Nilgiri-class frigates, new destroyers, and fleet support ships. All these plans combined will further strengthen India's maritime security. This massive project is expected to bring a major surge in India's defense capabilities, which will prove decisive in protecting the country's maritime borders.