ICGS Ajit Adamya-Class FPV 2026: Indian Coast Guard Induction — UPSC Notes

Why in News

Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) handed over ICGS Ajit (Yard 1277) to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on August 25, 2026. ICGS Ajit is the 7th vessel in the eight-ship Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) programme, built entirely at GSL under the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India defence manufacturing framework. The vessel features an indigenous content exceeding 65% and, for the first time in this class, a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) system — which enables greater manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency. The final vessel of the programme, ICGS Aparajit, is expected to be delivered by end-2026.

Background

The Indian Coast Guard was established on February 1, 1977 under the Coast Guard Act, 1978. It functions under the Ministry of Defence (unlike many countries where the coast guard is under the interior/home ministry) and is a Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). The ICG's mandate includes: maritime law enforcement in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, Search and Rescue (SAR), marine environment protection, and assistance to fishermen in distress.

India's coastline is approximately 7,516 km long, with an EEZ of approximately 2.02 million sq km — one of the largest in the world. Patrolling this vast maritime domain requires a tiered fleet of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), interceptor boats, and hovercrafts. The Adamya-class FPVs address the mid-tier requirement — vessels capable of extended coastal and near-shore EEZ patrols.

Key Facts

ICGS Ajit specifications: Length 51.43 m; displacement ~330 tonnes; speed >27 knots; endurance 1,500 nautical miles; crew: 6 officers + 35 sailors.
Adamya class: 8-ship programme; all built at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL); Ajit is the 7th; Aparajit (8th) expected by end-2026.
Indigenous content: >65%; key indigenous systems include hull, main machinery, navigation suite, communication systems, and deck fittings.
Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP): A propeller system where the blade angle can be varied to control thrust and direction without changing engine speed — improves manoeuvrability in confined coastal waters and enhances fuel efficiency during patrol operations.
Roles: EEZ surveillance, coastal security, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, SAR, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL): A Mini Ratna Category-I CPSE under Ministry of Defence; specialises in offshore patrol vessels, fast attack craft, FPVs, and survey vessels for ICG and Indian Navy.
The Indian Coast Guard is the world's 4th largest coast guard by fleet size (as of 2025).

Constitutional Provisions

Article 297: All lands, minerals, and other things of value underlying the ocean within the territorial waters or the continental shelf of India shall vest in the Union — establishes Union's authority over maritime resources and, by extension, maritime security.
Entry 1, Union List: Defence of India — the ICG as a defence force falls under this entry.
Entry 57, Union List: Fishing and fisheries beyond territorial waters — EEZ fisheries protection is an ICG function with constitutional grounding in this entry.

Legal Framework

Coast Guard Act, 1978: Establishes the Indian Coast Guard; defines its powers, duties, and jurisdiction including EEZ enforcement powers.
Maritime Zones of India Act, 1976: Defines India's territorial waters (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24 nm), EEZ (200 nm), and continental shelf — the legal geography that defines ICG's patrol area.
Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act, 2002 (SUA Act): Gives ICG and Indian Navy authority to interdict vessels engaged in maritime terrorism.
UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), 1982: India ratified in 1995; defines rights and obligations in the EEZ, including resource jurisdiction and enforcement powers against foreign vessels.

Institutional Framework

Indian Coast Guard (ICG): Commanded by the Director General of Coast Guard; headquarters in New Delhi; five regional commands (NW, W, E, A&N, NE) and 50+ stations.
Ministry of Defence: Administrative control over ICG (unique globally — most coast guards are under interior/home ministries).
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL): Builds and delivers FPVs and OPVs; Mini Ratna I CPSE.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL): Builds larger ICG OPVs and Naval submarines/destroyers; Navratna CPSE.
National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC): Set up 2022; coordinates multi-agency maritime security involving ICG, Navy, IB, DRI, customs.

Economic and Strategic Dimensions

India's EEZ is estimated to contain significant hydrocarbon reserves (ONGC offshore blocks), fishery resources worth ₹10,000–15,000 crore annually, and deep-sea minerals. EEZ security directly enables monetisation of these resources. Indigenous FPV construction at GSL supports the defence manufacturing ecosystem — creating employment for skilled shipbuilders, naval architects, and marine electronics engineers in Goa, and driving demand for indigenous marine equipment manufacturers through the >65% domestic content requirement.

Banking angle: GSL is a public-sector entity; its shipbuilding contracts are funded through Ministry of Defence capital expenditure (Capex) budgets. The defence Capex in Union Budget 2026–27 was approximately ₹1.72 lakh crore — allocation for ship construction represents a significant portion of naval and ICG modernisation spending. SBI and other PSBs provide working capital facilities to shipyards for large construction contracts.

Challenges

Fleet gap: ICG's sanctioned fleet strength is significantly higher than its current operational fleet; induction pace needs to accelerate.
Crew shortages: Expanding fleet requires proportionate growth in trained personnel; ICG faces officer and below-officer rank shortfalls.
Increasing maritime threats: Drug trafficking (especially synthetic drugs via sea routes), illegal fishing by foreign vessels, and climate-driven fishermen-at-sea incidents are all rising.
EEZ monitoring technology: Surveillance of 2.02 million sq km EEZ with a finite fleet requires satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) monitoring and drone/UAV integration.

Government Initiatives

Sagarmala Programme: Ministry of Ports; port-led development; includes coastal security infrastructure upgrades.
Maritime India Vision 2030: Comprehensive plan for port capacity, shipbuilding, maritime education, and EEZ resource development.
Matsya Setu / MFMS (Marine Fisheries Management System): Digital platform for fishermen registration and distress alert — ICG assists in SAR coordination.
Operation Sagar Manthan: ICG's anti-drug trafficking operation in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean; has seized hundreds of kg of narcotics.
SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region): India's Indo-Pacific maritime security doctrine; ICG plays a key role in capability-building with island-nation coast guards (Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Seychelles).

Way Forward

The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 prioritises "Make in India" categories; future ICG ship orders should mandate even higher indigenous content (targeting 80%+), particularly in propulsion systems and electronics. The Maritime India Vision 2030 aims to make India one of the top-5 shipbuilding nations — a goal that requires leveraging ICG and Navy orders as anchor contracts for Indian shipyards. ICG should accelerate integration of drone-based EEZ surveillance and AIS satellite data to extend the effective reach of each patrol vessel beyond its physical endurance.

Possible Mains Questions

Critically analyse the role of the Indian Coast Guard in India's maritime security architecture. What are the gaps, and how can they be addressed? (GS-III, 250 words)
Discuss India's SAGAR vision and its implications for maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. (GS-II, 250 words)

FAQ

Q: What is a Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV)?: A: A Fast Patrol Vessel is a medium-sized coast guard or naval craft designed for high-speed coastal and near-offshore patrol. Typically 40–60 m in length, FPVs are faster and more manoeuvrable than Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) but have shorter endurance. They are suited for interdiction, EEZ patrol within 200 nm, and SAR in coastal waters.
Q: What is India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?: A: India's EEZ extends 200 nautical miles from the baseline (low-water mark of the coast). Within the EEZ, India has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting, conserving, and managing natural resources — fish, minerals, oil, gas. The total Indian EEZ area is approximately 2.02 million sq km. The Maritime Zones of India Act, 1976 and UNCLOS, 1982 (ratified 1995) define these rights.
Q: What is the SAGAR doctrine?: A: SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is India's maritime security vision articulated by PM Modi in Mauritius in 2015. It emphasises cooperative maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, capacity-building for smaller island-nation coast guards, anti-piracy, anti-trafficking collaboration, and positioning India as a first-responder to maritime disasters in the region.

ICGS Ajit Inducted: 7th Adamya-Class Fast Patrol Vessel Commissioned — Indigenous Shipbuilding and India's Maritime Security Architecture

At a glance

Timeline