GRSE launches second NGOPV 'Shruti' at Kolkata yard
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) on 11 August launched Shruti, the second of the Indian Navy’s Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV), from its Kolkata facility. Designated Yard 3037, the vessel was formally launched by Mrs Manika Sadhu in a ceremony attended by senior dignitaries from the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Defence and GRSE, company sources said.
The launch comes less than three months after GRSE launched Sanghmitra, the first NGOPV, on 20 May. The ships form part of a larger 11-ship NGOPV programme for the Indian Navy, with construction being carried out concurrently at GRSE’s Kolkata yard and Goa Shipyard Limited.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | ~113 metres |
| Beam (width) | 14.6 metres |
| Displacement | ~3,000 tonnes |
| Top speed | 23 knots |
| Endurance | 8,500 nautical miles at 14 knots |
According to the information released at the launch, the Shruti and other NGOPVs are indigenously designed and intended to enhance the Navy’s offshore patrol capabilities across multiple domains. Their roles will include maritime surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and anti-piracy operations.
Local industry impact and programme timeline
GRSE is constructing four NGOPVs as part of its allocation under the 11-ship programme. Construction at GRSE is running in parallel with Goa Shipyard Limited, reflecting a distributed approach intended to accelerate delivery. GRSE representatives reported that the remaining two NGOPVs from its batch are expected to be launched by the end of the current financial year.
- Yard activity: Shruti is Yard 3037 from GRSE’s Kolkata facility.
- Programme scale: Eleven NGOPVs being built for the Navy; GRSE handling four units.
- Operational role: Extended patrol, surveillance and multi-domain response, including HADR and anti-piracy.
The NGOPV design aims to provide greater endurance, firepower and operational flexibility than previously built offshore patrol vessels. For Kolkata, the programme reinforces the city’s long-standing role as a naval shipbuilding hub, with GRSE’s yard continuing to secure significant Defence Ministry contracts that sustain skilled employment and ancillary industries along the Hooghly riverfront.
Shipbuilding orders of this scale typically involve long supply chains of local subcontractors, ranging from steel fabricators and electrical equipment suppliers to marine systems integrators and service providers. The steady cadence of launches at GRSE this year is likely to maintain demand in these sectors.
Strategic significance and regional presence
Offshore patrol vessels are a key element of India’s coastal security architecture as the Navy expands capabilities to safeguard maritime trade routes, offshore energy infrastructure and to respond to natural disasters. The NGOPVs’ long endurance — 8,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 14 knots — will enable extended deployments without immediate port support.
GRSE’s back-to-back launches within months underline progress on the programme’s delivery schedule. The coordinated construction with Goa Shipyard Limited is aimed at meeting the Navy’s operational timelines while bolstering domestic shipbuilding capacity under indigenous design and manufacture principles.
As the NGOPV series moves from launch to fitting-out and trials, Kolkata’s GRSE yard will continue to be a focal point for local industrial activity tied to national defence requirements. The next milestones will be the launches of the remaining two GRSE-built units and subsequent sea trials that determine when the ships enter operational service.
