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INS Anjadip - built with indigenous SAIL steel to join Indian Navy fleet

February 26, 2026 5 min read Science & Technology Economics GS Paper 3 (Science & Technology Defence Internal Security)
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What Happened

  • The Indian Navy commissioned INS Anjadip at Chennai Port on February 27, 2026, marking the induction of the third vessel in the eight-ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) programme.
  • INS Anjadip was indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata — a Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) — with an indigenous content exceeding 80%.
  • The warship was constructed using special-grade steel supplied by Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), sourced from SAIL's integrated steel plants at Bokaro, Bhilai, and Rourkela; SAIL supplied approximately 3,500 tonnes of steel for all eight vessels in the ASW-SWC series.
  • The 77-metre, 1,400-tonne vessel is equipped with a high-speed water-jet propulsion system capable of 25 knots, and carries an advanced ASW sensor package including the indigenous hull-mounted sonar Abhay, lightweight torpedoes, and ASW rockets.
  • The commissioning strengthens the Indian Navy's capacity for anti-submarine warfare in littoral (coastal) and shallow-water environments — a priority given increased submarine activity in the Indian Ocean Region.

Static Topic Bridges

ASW-SWC Programme — India's Coastal Defence Architecture

The Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft programme was initiated to replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes and reinforce India's coastal surveillance and sub-surface detection capability. Shallow-water environments present unique ASW challenges because conventional deep-water ASW sonar technologies are less effective in shallow littoral zones.

  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the ASW-SWC procurement in December 2013 for 16 vessels at a cost of ₹13,440 crore — eight each for Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
  • The Arnala class (as the series is named) has a displacement of approximately 900 tonnes and a length of 77.6 metres; capable of operating independently in coastal surveillance and coordinated ASW operations with helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft.
  • Combat systems on board include the Combat Management System (CMS), hull-mounted sonar Abhay (indigenously developed by DRDO's Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory), lightweight torpedoes, and rocket-based ASW weapons.
  • GRSE formed a Public-Private Partnership with Larsen & Toubro's Kattupalli Shipyard for construction support; INS Anjadip was delivered to the Navy on December 22, 2025, ahead of formal commissioning.
  • The eight GRSE vessels: the 8th and last (INS Ajay) was launched in July 2025, with all deliveries expected to complete by 2026.

Connection to this news: INS Anjadip's commissioning is the third formal induction into active fleet service in this class — demonstrating that the ASW-SWC programme is transitioning from shipyard to operational deployment at scale. The 80%+ indigenous content makes this among the most domestically sourced warship classes in the Indian Navy.

SAIL's Role in Defence Indigenisation — Speciality Steel for Defence

Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is India's largest state-owned steel producer and a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Steel. Beyond commercial steel, SAIL has developed speciality defence-grade steel variants specifically for naval and armoured vehicle applications.

  • SAIL operates five integrated steel plants: Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Bokaro (Jharkhand), Durgapur (West Bengal), Rourkela (Odisha), and IISCO (West Bengal).
  • For the ASW-SWC programme, SAIL supplied approximately 3,500 tonnes of special-grade DMR 249A and DMR 249B steel — high-strength, weldable structural steel grades designed specifically for shipbuilding under Indian Navy specifications.
  • DMR (Defence Metallurgical Research) steel grades are developed through a collaboration between SAIL's research division and DRDO's Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad.
  • SAIL also supplies Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA) steel for Indian Army tanks (including the Arjun MBT) and high-hardness armour steel for infantry fighting vehicles.
  • The use of SAIL steel in warship construction aligns with the DPSUs' mandate under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative to source all possible materials from domestic suppliers.

Connection to this news: The explicit emphasis on SAIL-supplied indigenous steel in INS Anjadip's commissioning press release reflects India's strategy of integrating domestic steel PSUs into the defence industrial base — ensuring that critical material inputs are not import-dependent. For SAIL, such contracts serve both commercial and strategic purposes.

Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence — Indigenisation Policy Framework

The Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative in defence, launched in 2020, represents the most structured push for import substitution in India's defence sector since independence. It established positive indigenisation lists, reformed the Defence Acquisition Procedure, and created the framework for Defence Industrial Corridors.

  • Ministry of Defence has notified four Positive Indigenisation Lists (PIL) as of 2025, collectively covering over 500 defence items — from simple components to complex systems like aero-engines and frigates — that must be sourced domestically rather than imported.
  • Two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) have been established: Uttar Pradesh DIC (Lucknow-Agra corridor) and Tamil Nadu DIC (Chennai-Coimbatore corridor), targeting ₹20,000 crore investment each.
  • Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 created new procurement categories: "Buy (Indian — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)" [IDDM] is the most preferred; "Buy (Global — Manufacture in India)" is the least preferred.
  • India's defence exports reached approximately ₹23,622 crore (FY 2024-25) — up from ₹1,521 crore in 2016-17 — driven by exports of ammunition, radar systems, and light combat aircraft components.
  • DPSUs (GRSE, HAL, BEL, BDL, OFB, Mazagon Dock, BEML, MIDHANI, etc.) are the primary delivery vehicles for Atmanirbhar Bharat's defence manufacturing goals.

Connection to this news: INS Anjadip with 80%+ indigenous content exemplifies the DAP 2020's IDDM category in action. The indigenously developed hull-mounted sonar Abhay, SAIL steel, GRSE shipbuilding, and domestic weapons systems collectively represent the kind of integrated supply chain Atmanirbhar Bharat aims to institutionalise.

Key Facts & Data

  • INS Anjadip commissioned: February 27, 2026, Chennai Port
  • Class: Arnala class (Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft)
  • Built by: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata
  • Vessel number in series: 3rd of 8 (GRSE batch); 3rd of 16 total ASW-SWC programme
  • Length: 77 metres; displacement: 1,400 tonnes (Gross Tonnage: 1,490 tonnes)
  • Speed: up to 25 knots (water-jet propulsion)
  • Indigenous content: over 80%
  • Key sensor: indigenous hull-mounted sonar Abhay (DRDO)
  • Armament: lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets
  • Steel: DMR 249A/249B from SAIL's Bokaro, Bhilai, and Rourkela plants; approximately 3,500 tonnes total for all 8 GRSE ASW-SWCs
  • Total ASW-SWC programme cost (16 vessels): ₹13,440 crore (approved 2013)
  • Programme partners: GRSE (8 vessels), Cochin Shipyard Limited (8 vessels)
  • DAC approval year: December 2013
  • Last (8th) vessel in GRSE batch (INS Ajay): launched July 2025
  • India's defence exports FY 2024-25: approximately ₹23,622 crore