NGMV keel laying for the Indian Navy took place on Friday at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, where Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, laid the keel of the first Next Generation Missile Vessel (NGMV), yard number BY 531. Vice Adm Sadhu was the chief guest, and senior officials of the Indian Navy and CSL were present, the Navy said.

Jose VJ, Chairman and Managing Director of CSL, was among those present, according to the yard.


NGMV keel laying follows steel cutting on BY 531

The NGMV keel laying comes about 21 months after steel cutting on the same hull, held at the yard on 16 December 2024 in the presence of Cdre S Parthiban, Warship Production Superintendent at Kochi. The contract for six NGMVs was concluded with CSL on 30 March 2023 and was valued at around Rs 9,800 crore when it was announced.

A day earlier, on Thursday, the yard held steel cutting for the second NGMV, BY 532, with Rear Adm Kapil Mehta, Assistant Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, presiding.

Weapons and sensors planned for the class

The Navy said the NGMVs are planned to carry state-of-the-art weapons and sensors that would enhance the service's combat capability as a "Future Ready and Combat Ready Force". The ships were described at the December 2024 steel cutting as high-speed vessels fitted with a surface to surface missile system, anti-missile defence systems, and air surveillance and fire control radars.

Speed, range and weapon designations were not part of Friday's announcement, which is routine for a yard milestone.

Roles set out for the class

In its account of the December 2024 ceremony, CSL said the primary role of the NGMV would be offensive capability against enemy warships, merchant vessels and land targets. The ships would carry out maritime strike and anti surface warfare operations and act as an instrument of sea denial at choke points. In a defensive role they would be employed for local naval defence and for seaward defence of the offshore development area.

Indigenous equipment behind the build

According to the Navy, all major role-defining equipment on the ships has been indigenously developed and manufactured, in line with the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Make for the World initiatives.

CSL described the milestone as a marker of its capability in complex warship production and advanced shipbuilding.

CSL's naval order book

The NGMVs are not the only Navy hulls on the Kochi floor. The yard delivered Mangrol, a Mahe class anti submarine warfare shallow water craft, in August, and INS Malvan, another of the class, was commissioned at Karwar the month before.

Under the NGMV contract, the six ships are to be inducted into the Navy from 2027 onwards.