INS Samarthak, an L&T-built multi-purpose vessel, is commissioned into the Navy at Karwar
In one line: The Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak, the first of two multi-purpose vessels ordered from L&T, at Karwar on 16 October 2026, with more than 75% indigenous content.
Published 17 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
The Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak at the Karwar naval base in Karnataka on 16 October 2026. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan presided over the ceremony, attended by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. The ship is a multi-purpose vessel built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its Kattupalli shipyard near Chennai under the Make in India initiative. According to the Defence Ministry it has more than 75% indigenous content, though some technologies were sourced from abroad. It is about 107 metres long and displaces more than 3,750 tonnes.
The Defence Ministry signed the contract with L&T in March 2022 for two multi-purpose vessels, valued at about ₹887 crore. The keels of Samarthak and its sister ship Utkarsh were laid in March 2023. Samarthak was launched in October 2024 and delivered to the Navy on 27 August 2026, while Utkarsh was launched in January 2025. The ship was built under the 'Buy-Indian' category and used extensive modular construction and pre-outfitting, in which sections are built and fitted out before being joined, to speed up the work.
The vessel is designed as a versatile platform for trials and evaluation of new weapons, radars and sensors. Its roles include maritime surveillance and patrolling, launching and recovering targets, launching torpedoes, towing, support for gunnery and anti-submarine exercises, salvage support, logistics for island territories and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It can act as a mothership for drones and unmanned boats, and in an emergency can be converted into a limited hospital ship. Its crest shows an Indian elephant rising from the waves.
Prelims facts
- INS Samarthak was commissioned at the Karwar naval base on 16 October 2026, with Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan presiding.
- It was built by L&T at Kattupalli near Chennai and has more than 75% indigenous content.
- The March 2022 contract covers two multi-purpose vessels, Samarthak and Utkarsh, valued at about ₹887 crore.
- Roles include weapons and sensor trials, target and torpedo launch, surveillance, towing, drone launch and disaster relief with limited hospital capability.
Quick recall
- Where and when was INS Samarthak commissioned?
- At the Karwar naval base, Karnataka, on 16 October 2026.
- Who presided over INS Samarthak's commissioning?
- Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan.
- Which company built INS Samarthak, and where?
- Larsen & Toubro (L&T), at its Kattupalli shipyard near Chennai.
- Indigenous content of INS Samarthak?
- More than 75%, according to the Defence Ministry.
- How many multi-purpose vessels does the March 2022 L&T contract cover?
- Two: Samarthak and Utkarsh (about ₹887 crore).
- When was Samarthak delivered to the Navy?
- 27 August 2026.
- Approximate length and displacement of INS Samarthak?
- About 107 metres; more than 3,750 tonnes.
- Name two non-combat roles of INS Samarthak.
- Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (with limited hospital capability) and trials of new weapons and sensors.
Prelims practice question
With reference to INS Samarthak, recently commissioned into the Indian Navy, consider the following statements:
1. It was built by a public sector shipyard in Visakhapatnam.
2. It can act as a mothership for unmanned aerial and surface systems.
3. It was commissioned at the Karwar naval base.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only. Statement 1 is incorrect: it was built by Larsen & Toubro, a private company, at Kattupalli near Chennai. Statement 2 is correct: it can launch drones and unmanned boats. Statement 3 is correct: it was commissioned at Karwar, Karnataka, on 16 October 2026.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: Maritime security and indigenisation of naval capability
- How to use this
Cite INS Samarthak under technical initiatives, as an indigenous platform adding surveillance, patrolling and unmanned-systems capability.
- INS Samarthak, commissioned on 16 October 2026, is built by L&T with more than 75% indigenous content.
- It can do maritime surveillance and patrolling and act as a mothership for drones and unmanned boats.
- It doubles as an HADR platform with limited hospital capability.
Indigenous surveillance and patrol platforms support India's maritime domain awareness goals.
Background on India's maritime security concerns in the Arabian Sea, where Karwar is located.
Mains practice question
The commissioning of a privately built multi-purpose vessel with over 75% indigenous content reflects changes in India's naval shipbuilding. Discuss the significance and limits of such indigenisation. (150 words)
Model answer
On 16 October 2026 the Navy commissioned INS Samarthak, a multi-purpose vessel built by L&T at Kattupalli with more than 75% indigenous content.
Significance
- Private capacity: a private yard delivered a commissioned naval vessel, widening the shipbuilding base.
- Speed: modular construction and pre-outfitting; contract (March 2022) to commissioning took about four and a half years.
- Capability: a trials platform for indigenous weapons, radars and sensors, freeing frontline ships.
- New roles: mothership for drones and unmanned boats; HADR with limited hospital capability.
- Policy fit: built under the 'Buy-Indian' category, in line with Make in India.
Limits
- Some technologies were still sourced from abroad.
- Indigenous content measures value, not control of critical systems.
- Small orders (two vessels, about ₹887 crore) limit economies of scale.
Way forward
- Larger, steady orders for private and public yards.
- Indigenous design and critical systems, not just assembly.
Samarthak shows progress in indigenisation, but self-reliance needs Indian technology at the core.
The basics
Why this matters
Navies need more than frontline warships. They need ships that test new weapons and sensors, tow targets, launch drones and carry relief when disaster strikes. On 16 October 2026 the Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak, a multi-purpose vessel built by a private Indian shipyard with more than 75% indigenous content. It is a small but useful case study in defence indigenisation.
What the ship is
Samarthak was built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its Kattupalli shipyard near Chennai. It is about 107 metres long and displaces more than 3,750 tonnes. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan presided over the commissioning at the Karwar naval base in Karnataka, with the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, present.
From contract to commissioning
A warship passes through several milestones before it joins the fleet. See Life cycle of a warship.
- March 2022Defence Ministry signs contract with L&T for two multi-purpose vessels (about ₹887 crore)
- March 2023Keels of Samarthak and Utkarsh laid at Kattupalli
- October 2024Samarthak launched
- January 2025Sister ship Utkarsh launched
- 27 August 2026Samarthak delivered to the Navy
- 16 October 2026Commissioned at Karwar
What it will do
- 1Trials platformTesting and evaluating new weapons, radars and sensors
- 2Target and torpedo workLaunching and recovering targets and torpedoes for gunnery and anti-submarine exercises
- 3Drone mothershipLaunching unmanned aerial and surface systems at sea
- 4Patrol and surveillanceMaritime surveillance and offshore patrolling
- 5ReliefHumanitarian assistance and disaster relief, with limited hospital capability
These roles are explained in Multi-purpose vessel and Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The indigenisation angle
The ship was built under the 'Buy-Indian' category of procurement and used extensive modular construction, building and fitting out blocks before joining them, to save time. A private yard delivering a commissioned naval vessel widens India's shipbuilding base beyond public sector yards. The idea of measuring this is explained in Indigenous content in defence.
Go deeper
Why it matters for UPSC
GS3 asks about indigenisation of technology, security forces and their mandate, and maritime security. Prelims often asks about ships, builders and roles. The vessel also shows how private shipyards now build naval platforms.
The core idea
A Multi-purpose vessel is a support ship that tests weapons and sensors, handles targets, launches drones and helps in Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Its path from contract to commissioning follows the Life cycle of a warship. Its value for Atmanirbhar Bharat lies in Indigenous content in defence: how much of its equipment is made in India.
Numbers and dates to remember
- 16 October 2026: commissioned at the Karwar naval base, Karnataka; Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan presided.
- Builder: L&T, Kattupalli shipyard near Chennai.
- More than 75% indigenous content.
- About 107 m long; more than 3,750 tonnes displacement.
- March 2022: contract for two vessels, about ₹887 crore.
- 27 August 2026: delivered to the Navy.
- Sister ship: Utkarsh, launched in January 2025.
Where to go next
- Multi-purpose vessel: what a support ship of this kind does.
- Life cycle of a warship: keel laying, launch, delivery and commissioning.
- Indigenous content in defence: what the 75% figure means.
- Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief: the Navy's non-combat role.
Go deeper: what a support ship says about India's naval build-up
Support ships rarely make headlines, but they decide how fast a navy can absorb new technology. A Multi-purpose vessel that can test indigenous weapons, radars and sensors at sea reduces the need to tie up frontline warships for trials. Its ability to act as a mothership for unmanned aerial and surface systems also fits the shift towards drones in maritime surveillance.
The private shipyard angle matters. Samarthak was built by L&T at Kattupalli under the 'Buy-Indian' category, with modular construction to save time. Supporters of private participation argue that it adds capacity and competition to a sector long dominated by public sector yards. The Life cycle of a warship for Samarthak, from contract in March 2022 to commissioning in October 2026, took about four and a half years.
There are limits. The Defence Ministry's own figure of more than 75% Indigenous content in defence means some technologies still come from abroad. Indigenous content counts value, not control: a ship can be largely Indian by cost and still depend on imported engines or electronics. The real test is whether the design, critical systems and their upgrades are Indian.
Finally, the ship's Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and limited hospital role supports India's image as a first responder in the Indian Ocean Region.
Multi-purpose vessel
What a support ship of this kind does.
In one line: A multi-purpose vessel is a naval support ship designed to do many non-frontline jobs, from weapons trials to towing and relief.
What it does
Typical tasks include launching and recovering surface and aerial targets, launching torpedoes for trials, handling targets for gunnery and anti-submarine exercises, towing, maritime surveillance and patrolling, salvage support, logistics for island territories and disaster relief. Samarthak can also act as a mothership for drones and unmanned boats.
Why navies need it
Testing a new weapon or sensor needs a ship at sea. Using a dedicated support ship frees frontline warships for operations.
Why it is in the news
INS Samarthak, the first of two such vessels from L&T, was commissioned on 16 October 2026.
Where to go next
Life cycle of a warship
Keel laying, launch, delivery and commissioning.
In one line: A warship passes through contract, keel laying, launch, trials, delivery and commissioning before it joins the fleet.
The milestones
- Contract: the government orders the ship from a shipyard.
- Keel laying: the formal start of building the hull on the slipway.
- Launch: the hull is floated for the first time; outfitting continues afterwards.
- Trials and delivery: the ship is tested at sea and handed over to the Navy.
- Commissioning: the ship formally joins the Navy, hoists the naval ensign and gets the prefix 'INS'.
Samarthak's dates
Contract in March 2022, keel laid in March 2023, launched in October 2024, delivered on 27 August 2026 and commissioned on 16 October 2026.
Where to go next
Indigenous content in defence
What the 75% figure means.
In one line: Indigenous content is the share of a weapon system's value that is designed or made in India.
Why it is measured
Defence procurement in India gives preference to Indian industry, and the share of indigenous content is used to show how far a platform is made at home. Higher content means more domestic jobs, less dependence on foreign suppliers and fewer supply risks in a crisis.
What it does not show
A percentage counts value, not control. A ship can have high indigenous content and still rely on imported critical systems, such as engines or specialised electronics.
Why it is in the news
INS Samarthak has more than 75% indigenous content, according to the Defence Ministry, and was built under the 'Buy-Indian' category by a private shipyard.
Where to go next
Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
The Navy's non-combat role.
In one line: Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) is the use of military assets to help people after cyclones, floods, earthquakes and other emergencies.
What navies do
Ships carry relief material, water and medical teams, evacuate people and support rescue when roads and airports are cut off. A ship with limited hospital capability can treat casualties on board.
Why it matters for India
HADR is a visible part of India's role in the Indian Ocean Region and a way to build goodwill with neighbours.
Why it is in the news
INS Samarthak is designed for HADR and can be converted into a limited hospital ship in an emergency.
Where to go next
Take the 17 October 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers