GRSE Delivers ASW Shallow Water Craft 'Amini' to Indian Navy: 5th of 8 Vessels under ₹6,311 Crore Aatmanirbhar Bharat Contract
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd delivered 'Amini', the fifth of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) being built for the Indian Navy under a ₹6,311.32 crore contract signed in April 2019. The vessel is the 119th warship built by GRSE and the 81st delivered to the Indian Navy, incorporating approximately 88% indigenous content in line with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
At a glance
GRSE delivered ASW-SWC 'Amini' — the 5th of 8 vessels under a ₹6,311.32 cr contract — to the Indian Navy at Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu. 119th warship built by GRSE; 81st to Indian Navy.
Arnala class ASW-SWC under Project 25A. Contract signed April 29, 2019. Replaces the ageing Abhay-class corvettes of the Indian Navy.
~88% indigenous content; 30mm naval gun by GRSE. Lightweight torpedoes and ASW rockets for shallow-water submarine detection and engagement.
Advances Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence; supports SAGAR doctrine. Shallow draught (~2.7 m) enables littoral and coastal ASW operations against growing submarine threats in IOR.
Timeline
Why in News
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, a Kolkata-based Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) under the Ministry of Defence, delivered Amini — the fifth of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) — to the Indian Navy at Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu on November 5–6, 2026. The delivery advances India's indigenisation agenda under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in defence manufacturing and strengthens the Indian Navy's coastal and littoral domain-awareness capabilities.
Background
The Indian Navy's Abhay-class corvettes, which had formed the backbone of its shallow-water anti-submarine operations since the 1980s and 1990s, had reached the end of their operational life. To replace them, the Ministry of Defence in April 2019 signed a contract with GRSE for the construction of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) under Project 25A. This ₹6,311.32 crore contract is one of the largest warship construction programmes entrusted entirely to a domestic shipyard under the government's policy of prioritising Indian defence industry.
ASW-SWC Programme: Class and Naming
The eight vessels belong to the Arnala class, named after the first ship of the series — INS Arnala. The class is named after Arnala Island off the Maharashtra coast, historically significant as the site of a Maratha fort. Subsequent vessels follow the convention of being named after Indian islands: Androth, Anjadip, Abhay (a tribute to the retired class it replaces), Agray, Akshay, Mulki, Malwan, and Amini. Amini specifically is named after Amini Island in Lakshadweep.
Timeline of Deliveries
Earlier vessels in the series were: INS Arnala (2023), INS Androth (2023), INS Anjadip (2023), INS Abhay (2024), INS Agray (2024), INS Akshay (2024), and INS Mulki (2023). Amini is the fifth vessel delivered against the total contract of eight.
Current Developments
The delivery of Amini at Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu — where L&T's shipyard facilitates part of GRSE's production capacity — marks an important milestone:
- It is the 119th warship built by GRSE in its history since establishment in 1884.
- It is the 81st warship delivered to the Indian Navy by GRSE.
- The vessel incorporates approximately 88% indigenous content, exceeding the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 norms for indigenous value addition in warship construction.
- The delivery keeps the programme on track for completion of all eight vessels by 2026 as stipulated in the contract.
Key Facts
- Class: Arnala class ASW-SWC
- Vessel: Amini (5th of 8 in the series)
- Builder: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata
- Contract value: ₹6,311.32 crore (signed April 29, 2019)
- Delivery location: Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu
- Displacement: Approximately 900 tonnes (shallow water craft specification)
- Draught: ~2.7 metres (enabling shallow water operations)
- Indigenous content: ~88%
- Main armament: 30mm Naval Surface Gun (manufactured by GRSE)
- ASW weapons: Lightweight torpedoes, anti-submarine warfare rockets
- Combat Management System (CMS): Advanced digital CMS for multi-threat assessment
- Propulsion: Designed for coastal and littoral zone operations
- GRSE milestones: 119th warship built, 81st to Indian Navy