Navy's Next Generation OPV Shreyas Launched at GRSE Kolkata

Shreyas, the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) bearing the yard number 3040, was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata on 10 October 2026. The ship was launched by Mrs Reyman Kochhar in the presence of Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. Senior officers of the Indian Navy and officials of the Ministry of Defence, GRSE and partner firms from industry attended the ceremony, which followed the traditions and ethos of the Indian Navy.

The name

Ships of this class take their names from India's heritage. Shreyas is a Sanskrit word meaning 'best' or 'most excellent'. Naming a warship in this way links the new vessel to the cultural idiom the Navy has used for its recent classes.

Two shipyards building the class

Construction of the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels is going on at the same time at two yards: Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in Goa and GRSE in Kolkata. The ships are designed and built in India. They will add to the Navy's existing fleet of Offshore Patrol Vessels and Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels.

What the ships will do

The class is meant for multi-domain operations. The roles listed for these vessels are maritime surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and anti-piracy missions. Offshore patrol vessels of this kind spend long periods at sea on policing duties in India's exclusive economic zone, which keeps the larger frontline warships free for other tasks.

Indigenous shipbuilding

The launch was described as another milestone in the Indian Navy's drive towards indigenous shipbuilding. It sits with the Government of India's wider push for Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the Make in India initiative, under which warship design and construction have moved steadily to Indian yards. For exam purposes it is worth noting the distinction between a launch, when a hull enters the water, and commissioning, when the ship formally joins the fleet after trials. GRSE, a defence public sector shipyard on the Hooghly at Kolkata, has delivered a long line of warships to the Navy and the Coast Guard, while Goa Shipyard Limited is the other yard engaged on this particular class of patrol vessels.