India will build an additional eight next-generation stealth warships at a cost of $4 billion for its navy, as part of a fleet expansion powered by a domestic shipbuilding program.
The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the project on Wednesday, ANI news agency reported, citing senior government officials. Contracts with two state-owned shipyards are expected to be signed in the coming days.
India plans to expand its navy to more than 200 ships by 2035, Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi said in February. Forty-two vessels have already been ordered, while another 78 ships and submarines have received preliminary procurement approval, Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar said earlier this month.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, based in the eastern port city of Kolkata, is expected to build five of the new vessels. Goa Shipyard Limited on the western coast will construct the remaining three. The first warship is targeted for delivery in 2030, with efforts under way to accelerate construction, reports said.
Each warship is expected to displace around 2,000 tons and reach speeds of 30 knots. They will feature a new stealth design developed by the Indian Navy, and sport more than 70% indigenous content, India Today reported.
The vessels, known as next-generation corvettes, will be smaller than frigates and destroyers, but equipped for multiple combat roles, including anti-submarine, anti-surface, and anti-air warfare.
The ships are designed for surveillance, escort operations, deterrence, search-and-attack missions, and coastal defense, according to the Defense Ministry. They are intended to strengthen the navy’s operational presence across the Indian Ocean region, where New Delhi has expanded maritime security operations.