Indian Navy Commissions First Indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel INS Samarthak
The Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak, the first of class Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs), on 16 October 2026 in a ceremony presided over by Vice President Shri Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan. The event was attended by Chief of Naval Staff Adm Krishna Swaminathan, the Minister for Labour and Employment from Karnataka government, senior naval and defense officials, and representatives from Larsen & Toubro Ltd and original equipment manufacturers associated with indigenous equipment.
Designed and constructed by L&T Shipyard, INS Samarthak represents a significant milestone as the first major warship built by an Indian private shipyard, demonstrating the growing maturity of India's private shipbuilding industry. The vessel features over 75% indigenous content and incorporates extensive modular construction and pre-outfitting techniques that have optimized build processes and construction timelines. The project has contributed to employment generation, capability development, and economic benefits through domestic manufacturing.
Named 'The Proponent', INS Samarthak is designed as a versatile platform for trials and evaluation with inherent adaptability to undertake diverse operational and developmental tasks. The vessel is capable of maritime surveillance and reconnaissance, offshore patrolling, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. Its commissioning strengthens India's ability to test and train new sensors and weapons developed indigenously by domestic industry, enhancing capabilities against non-traditional maritime threats in an unpredictable maritime environment.
The commissioning reinforces India's commitment to maritime security, regional stability, and cooperative engagement across the Indian Ocean Region, while epitomizing the nation's pursuit of a self-reliant and resilient domestic defense industrial ecosystem under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.