INS Samarthak, first indigenous multi-purpose vessel, commissioned

The Indian Navy on Friday (October 16, 2026) commissioned INS Samarthak, the first of two multi-purpose vessels being built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), strengthening its capability to test and evaluate indigenously developed sensors and weapons amid an evolving maritime security environment.

Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan presided over the commissioning ceremony in the presence of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, the Karnataka Governor, and senior naval and defence officials in Karwar.

According to the Indian Navy, designed and constructed by L&T Shipyard, INS Samarthak marks a significant milestone in India’s indigenous shipbuilding efforts, highlighting the growing role of the private sector in developing platforms for the armed forces. The vessel has over 75% indigenous content, according to the Navy.

Conceived primarily as a versatile platform for trials and evaluation, the ship will support the testing and training of new sensors and weapons developed by domestic industry. Its induction is expected to strengthen the Navy’s ability to validate indigenous technologies before their wider operational deployment, it added.

The vessel incorporates modular construction and pre-outfitting techniques aimed at optimising the shipbuilding process and reducing construction timelines. The project has also contributed to employment generation and the development of domestic industrial capabilities.

Named Samarthak, meaning ‘the proponent’, the vessel has been designed to undertake a range of operational and developmental tasks. Besides supporting trials and evaluation, it can carry out maritime surveillance and reconnaissance, offshore patrolling and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

The Navy said the vessel’s versatility would be particularly useful in an unpredictable maritime environment, where traditional security challenges are increasingly accompanied by non-traditional threats.

The commissioning also underscores the growing partnership between the Navy and India’s domestic shipbuilding industry as the government pursues self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The vessel is expected to provide a dedicated platform for testing indigenous systems, helping reduce dependence on foreign facilities for the evaluation of naval technologies.

The induction of INS Samarthak is part of the Navy’s broader effort to strengthen its operational capabilities while supporting the development of a resilient domestic defence industrial ecosystem.