New Delhi: The Defence Ministry has signed contracts worth Rs 53,866.50 crore with two Indian shipyards for the construction of eight Next Generation Corvettes for the Indian Navy, in a major boost to the country's indigenous warship-building programme.

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The agreements were signed with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi on Monday.

Under the contracts, GRSE will build five corvettes, while GSL will construct the remaining three. The ships will be designed by the Indian Navy and built by the two defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), selected through a competitive process.
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Project expected to generate employment over 10 years

The programme is expected to strengthen India's domestic shipbuilding industry by involving defence public sector companies, private shipyards and Indian industrial partners, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

According to the Defence Ministry, construction of the vessels is expected to generate around 72 lakh person-days of employment at the shipyards. Ancillary industries and MSMEs are projected to account for another 460 lakh person-days over the next 10 years.

The project is also expected to increase the use of Made-in-India materials, equipment and technologies, while expanding opportunities for Indian companies in defence manufacturing.
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Advanced systems to strengthen Navy's combat capabilities

The Next Generation Corvettes will be equipped with advanced missile, weapon and sensor systems. These capabilities will allow the vessels to operate across air, surface and sub-surface domains.

Their induction is expected to strengthen the Navy's ability to protect maritime trade routes and undertake anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations. The ships will also support coastal defence, littoral combat, maritime surveillance and presence missions.

The ministry said the programme would deepen cooperation between defence public sector undertakings, private shipyards and MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), while strengthening India's indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.

The contracts are part of the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives in the defence sector.

ANI