The Indian Navy commissioned Samarthak at its base in Karwar on Friday, marking the entry of the first multi-purpose vessel built by a private Indian shipyard and strengthening the role of domestic industry in naval shipbuilding.
Commissioned in the presence of Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan, the vessel was built by Larsen & Toubro at its Kattupalli shipyard in Tamil Nadu. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said Samarthak has more than 75 per cent indigenous content and was designed, engineered and built in-house at L&T’s Warship Design Centre and shipyard.
The vessel is the first of four multi-purpose ships being inducted into the Navy. Admiral Swaminathan described it as the first major warship contracted to and constructed by a private shipyard to be commissioned into the Indian Navy.
Samarthak has been designed as a utility vessel capable of carrying out several operational and support functions. These include trials of indigenous weapons and sensors, operations involving unmanned autonomous systems, maritime surveillance and patrol duties.
The ship is fitted with a dynamic positioning system and can launch and recover targets used during warship exercises at sea. The Navy will also use it as a trial platform for indigenous weapons and sensors under development. Admiral Swaminathan said the vessel would help reduce the time taken to move technologies from the prototype stage to production.
Beyond testing and evaluation, Samarthak is intended to support naval operations across dispersed areas of interest. Its endurance and ability to assist other ships at sea are expected to help sustain operations for extended periods, according to the Navy chief.
The vessel also has heavy-towing facilities, medical infrastructure and firefighting capabilities. These systems allow it to assist ships in distress and respond to emergencies at sea. The Navy said Samarthak can additionally support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, as well as non-combatant evacuation missions.
The commissioning reflects the Navy’s continuing effort to deepen collaboration with domestic shipyards, equipment manufacturers and smaller industrial suppliers. Admiral Swaminathan congratulated L&T’s leadership and workforce, along with the Navy’s warship production teams, micro, small and medium enterprises and other industry partners involved in the project.
He also called for lessons from the ship’s construction to be used to improve build quality and reduce construction timelines for future vessels. While describing Samarthak’s commissioning as a successful first achievement, he said the project should provide pointers for strengthening shipbuilding efforts over the long term.
The Navy said the vessel would contribute to operational readiness, support the translation of emerging technologies into deployable capabilities and reinforce India’s role as a first responder and security partner in the region. The remaining three multi-purpose vessels are to be inducted as part of the Navy’s continuing expansion of this support capability.
