The keel laying ceremony for the first Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), formerly known as GSL, took place at M/s Goa Shipyard Ltd in Goa on May 3, 2024. VAdm B Siva Kumar, Controller Warship Production & Acquisition, presided over the ceremony, accompanied by Shri B K Upadhyay, Chairman & Managing Director of GSL, and other senior officials from the Indian Navy and M/s GSL.
The contracts for the indigenous design and construction of 11 NGOPVs were finalized on March 30, 2023, between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and M/s Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), Goa, and M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. Seven ships are to be constructed by the Lead Shipyard, M/s GSL, and four ships by the Follow Shipyard, M/s GRSE.
The NGOPVs will be deployed for various missions including Anti-Piracy, Coastal Defence & Surveillance, Search & Rescue, and Protection of Offshore Assets. These vessels will enhance the Indian Navy’s combat capabilities to safeguard the nation’s economic and geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean Region. This marks another significant milestone in the Indian Navy’s commitment to indigenous shipbuilding, aligning with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives of the nation.
