India has moved ahead with the indigenous construction of five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy after Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) terminated its arrangements with Turkish shipbuilding companies and took the design work in-house. The ₹19,000-crore programme marks a major step in strengthening India’s domestic naval shipbuilding capabilities.
The project initially involved Turkish firms providing design and construction support. However, after the government granted final approval in August 2023, HSL ended those arrangements and proceeded with indigenous design work rather than appointing another foreign partner.
The first vessel, FSS-1, named INS Surya, was launched at HSL in Visakhapatnam on October 6, 2026, by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The ceremony also marked the keel laying of the fifth and final ship in the series.
The vessels have a displacement of more than 40,000 tonnes and are designed to replenish Indian Navy warships at sea with fuel, water, ammunition and other essential supplies. This will allow frontline vessels to remain deployed for longer periods without returning to port.
The ships will also feature onboard maintenance facilities and helicopter decks. Their secondary roles include humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, as well as evacuating civilians during emergencies.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the ships are indigenously designed and built, with more than 82% indigenous content. The programme is expected to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing and support the government’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
HSL has also partnered with Larsen & Toubro’s shipyard at Kattupalli in Tamil Nadu to construct two of the five vessels. This arrangement uses additional domestic shipbuilding capacity to support the project’s production schedule.
The first ship’s launch marks an important milestone in the programme, with deliveries scheduled to begin from mid-2027. Once inducted, the fleet support ships are expected to improve the Indian Navy’s operational reach and logistics capabilities across the Indian Ocean region.
