Indian Navy inducts multi-purpose INS Samarthak, a drone mothership and weapons testbed, the first major warship built by a private shipyard

The Indian Navy commissioned Samarthak, its first multi-purpose vessel built by a private shipyard, at a ceremony at its base in Karwar, Karnataka, on Friday, marking a milestone in India's push to expand private-sector participation in warship construction. Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan attended the ceremony, where Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan highlighted the vessel's indigenous design, advanced systems and role in testing next-generation defence technologies.

Built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) at its Kattupalli shipyard in Tamil Nadu, Samarthak has more than 75 per cent indigenous content. It is the first of four multi-purpose vessels being inducted into the Navy and is expected to support a range of operational, surveillance, testing and emergency-response missions.

Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad was also present at the commissioning ceremony.

What is Samarthak designed to do?

Samarthak is primarily designed for maritime surveillance and patrol, but its capabilities extend to several operational and support roles. The Navy intends to use the vessel as a platform for evaluating indigenous weapons, sensors and emerging technologies, as well as for operations involving unmanned and autonomous systems.

Its planned roles include:

• Weapons and sensor trials: Testing and evaluating indigenous weapons, sensors and other systems under development.
• Maritime surveillance and patrol: Supporting monitoring and security operations at sea.
• Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO): Undertaking operations in lower-intensity maritime security environments.
• Target deployment and trials: Deploying and recovering targets used in naval exercises and weapons trials.
• Unmanned and autonomous systems mothership: Supporting the operation and deployment of unmanned systems.
• Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR): Providing assistance during disasters and other emergencies.
• Limited hospital ship conversion: Being adapted to provide medical support when required.
• Salvage operations: Supporting recovery and assistance work at sea.

The vessel's integrated combat suite combines indigenous sensors, weapons and electronic systems designed for operations in challenging maritime conditions.

Also Read: Indian Navy to get another indigenous multipurpose ship built by L&T: What are its capabilities, role

Dynamic positioning and support for naval trials

Admiral Swaminathan said Samarthak is equipped with a state-of-the-art dynamic positioning system, allowing it to maintain its position during specialised operations. It can also launch and recover targets used in warship exercises at sea, making it a dedicated platform for trials and evaluation.

The vessel will allow the Navy to test indigenous weapons and sensors while they are under development, helping assess their performance in operational maritime conditions.

“These capabilities are particularly vital in today's rapidly evolving technological milieu, where shortening the journey from prototype to production is critical to maintaining the operational edge at sea,” Swaminathan said.

The ship's endurance and ability to support other vessels at sea are also expected to help the Navy sustain operations across dispersed areas of interest for extended periods.

Samarthak's emergency-response capabilities

Beyond its testing and surveillance roles, Samarthak has facilities intended to assist ships in distress and support emergency operations.

The vessel is equipped with heavy-towing facilities, medical infrastructure and firefighting capabilities. These features will allow it to assist vessels facing difficulties at sea and respond to maritime emergencies.

It can also support humanitarian relief operations and non-combatant evacuation missions. The ability to undertake multiple roles makes Samarthak a utility vessel for operations where sustained support, recovery and assistance are required.

What did the Vice-President say?

Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan said Samarthak would provide the Navy with a dedicated platform to test and evaluate next-generation weapons, sensors and emerging technologies.

He highlighted the vessel's role in helping the Navy convert indigenous technological innovations into operational capabilities. The platform is expected to strengthen the link between domestic defence development and the systems ultimately deployed by the armed forces.

Admiral Swaminathan on self-reliance and private shipbuilding

Admiral Swaminathan described Samarthak's commissioning as a significant step towards Aatmanirbharata, or self-reliance, in defence manufacturing. He noted that the vessel had been designed, engineered and built in-house at L&T's Warship Design Centre and shipyard.

“Samarthak is the first major or big warship contracted to and constructed by a private shipyard to be commissioned into the Indian Navy,” he said.

The Navy chief said the vessel would strengthen operational readiness by helping turn emerging technologies into deployable capabilities. He also linked its role to India's broader maritime vision of Mahasagar, under which the country aims to reinforce its position as a first responder and preferred security partner in the region.

Swaminathan congratulated L&T's leadership and workforce, the Navy's warship production teams, micro, small and medium enterprises, equipment manufacturers and other industry partners involved in the project.

Navy chief calls for shorter shipbuilding timelines

While describing Samarthak's commissioning as an important achievement, Swaminathan stressed that the experience of building the vessel should also be used to improve future shipbuilding programmes.

He called for lessons from the construction process to be applied towards improving build quality and reducing the time needed to complete subsequent vessels.

“Even a very successful maiden achievement can give us useful pointers to strengthen our efforts in the long term,” he said.

Samarthak's induction marks a new step in the Navy's use of privately built vessels. As the first of four multi-purpose vessels in the programme, it is intended to contribute to operational support, technology trials and emergency response while advancing India's effort to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing.