Kolkata-based defence shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. launched Ajay, the eighth and final vessel in the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Shallow Water Craft series, on Monday, July 21. The launch marks a significant milestone in bolstering India’s maritime defence capabilities.
According to GRSE, the series is designed to detect and neutralise enemy submarines operating in coastal waters, and can also perform coordinated ASW missions in conjunction with aircraft.
“These warships pack a lethal anti-submarine suite comprising lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets, and mines. They are also armed with 30 mm Close-in Weapon Systems and 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote-Control Guns,” GRSE said in a statement. The vessels are also equipped with a Hull Mounted Sonar and Low-Frequency Variable Depth Sonar to support effective underwater surveillance.
Built for stealth and manoeuvrability, the 77.6-metre-long and 10.5-metre-wide ASW crafts are constructed with low draught, enabling operations close to shore. The ships are capable of full-scale sub-surface surveillance, mine-laying, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).
‘Ajay’ follows the launch of ‘Abhay’, the seventh craft in the series, which was launched around nine months earlier. The first vessel in the class, INS Arnala, was commissioned into the Navy on June 18, 2025, while the second ship, Androth, has completed sea trials and is ready for delivery.
Speaking at the launch event, Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, AVSM, VSM, Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy, commended GRSE’s expanding capabilities. “In addition to ASW shallow water crafts, the shipyard is constructing P-17 Alpha, a Large Survey Vessel, a Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel, and several special projects,” he said.
Cmde P.R. Hari, IN (Retd.), Chairperson and Managing Director of GRSE, highlighted the yard’s increasing output, “With 16 warships currently under construction and more orders expected, I am confident of GRSE delivering a Century of Warships to the Indian Navy within the next decade.”
GRSE remains one of India’s leading defence shipyards, with a legacy of building technologically advanced naval vessels. The launch of ‘Ajay’ reinforces the shipyard’s critical role in the country’s naval modernisation strategy.
