The keel-laying ceremony for the fourth of six Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) took place in Mumbai on Thursday.
According to the Ministry of Defence, MDL is indigenously designing, developing, and constructing this ship, which features modern machinery and state-of-the-art systems, in line with the Government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Senior officials from the ICG and MDL attended the ceremony.
The contract for the construction of these six NGOPVs was concluded on December 20, 2023.
This initiative marks a key milestone in ICG’s ongoing efforts to enhance its operational capabilities and bolster coastal security, thereby strengthening the nation’s strategic autonomy.