The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Indian conglomerate Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) on Friday for the purchase of two multi-purpose vessels (MPVs) for the Indian Navy.
The Rs 887 crore transaction was completed under the “Buy-Indian” category. Vice Admiral SN Ghormade, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, and Pankaj Agarwal, Additional Secretary and Director General Acquisition signed the contract. The delivery of vessels is set to begin in May 2025.
MPVs will be the first of their kind, built to provide a cost-effective solution to the Indian Navy’s diverse requirements.
These vessels, which will be built at L&T’s Kattupally (Chennai) shipyard, will perform multi-role support functions such as maritime surveillance and patrol, torpedo launching/recovery, and operation of various types of aerial, surface, and underwater targets for Gunnery/ ASW firing exercises.
With limited hospital ship capability, these vessels would also be capable of towing ships and providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support. They will also serve as a testing ground for naval weapons and sensors in development, a support platform for ISV and salvage operations, and a logistics support platform for India’s island territories.
This contract will stimulate and encourage and motivate the Indian shipbuilding industry, in line with the Government of India’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative.
