Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), a Kolkata-based shipbuilding company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Norway’s Kongsberg to build India’s first indigenously constructed Polar Research Vessel (PRV). The vessel will be developed at GRSE’s Kolkata shipyard using design expertise from Kongsberg and in alignment with the requirements of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR).
The PRV will support scientific research in the polar and southern ocean regions and is expected to be equipped with advanced equipment to facilitate studies on marine ecosystems, oceanography, and climate science. GRSE, which has prior experience building warships and research vessels, will oversee the construction, contributing to India’s domestic shipbuilding capabilities.
The agreement was signed in Oslo during the Nor-Shipping event, attended by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Kongsberg leadership, senior officials from both countries, and GRSE representatives.
During his official visit to Norway, Sonowal also participated in a ministerial discussion on the role of shipping in shaping future ocean business, which was attended by ministers and officials from Brazil, Japan, the United Nations, the United States, China, and Norway. He reiterated India’s maritime engagement policy under the MAHASAGAR initiative, which aims for mutual and holistic advancement for security across the region.
The Union Minister also held a roundtable with the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association (NSA), inviting investment in India’s maritime sector. He stated that Indian shipyards currently account for 11% of NSA’s order book and emphasized opportunities in shipbuilding, repair, and recycling. Sonowal highlighted India’s Maritime Development Fund of USD 2.9 billion and called for expanded cooperation in areas such as green shipping corridors and ship recycling, noting that 87 percent of Indian recycling yards are compliant with the Hong Kong Convention (HKC).
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers is a defence public sector undertaking under the Indian Ministry of Defence. Based in Kolkata, GRSE builds a wide range of complex vessels including warships, research and survey ships, and support craft. The company has previously supplied ships to the Indian Navy and Coast Guard and is engaged in various shipbuilding and engineering projects across India.
