Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has signed a contract with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) for the construction of two Coastal Research Vessels (CRVs). The contract was signed on June 11, 2025, by Shantanu Bose, Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE, and N. M. Shareef, Deputy Director General & Head of Marine & Coastal Survey Division, GSI, in the presence of GSI Director General Asit Saha and other senior officials.
Each CRV will be 64 meters long, 12 meters wide, and have a deadweight tonnage of approximately 450 tons. The ships will be capable of operating for 15 days at sea and achieving a top speed of 10 knots. They will be designed to accommodate up to 35 personnel.
The vessels are intended for offshore geological mapping, mineral exploration, ocean environment monitoring, and research activities. They will include on-board scientific laboratories for data processing and sample analysis.
The ships will be equipped with Dynamic Positioning – 1, allowing them to maintain their position in Sea State 3 conditions. They will use diesel-electric propulsion with diesel generators powering the thrusters and will operate within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone at depths ranging from 5 to 1,000 meters.
GRSE is currently engaged in building an Ocean Research Vessel for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and an Acoustic Research Ship for the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, an establishment under the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
The shipyard is also building 16 warships across four different classes for the Indian Navy and has submitted the lowest bid for the Navy’s Next Generation Corvettes programme, which includes five vessels. Additionally, GRSE is constructing eight multi-purpose cargo vessels for a German company.
GRSE, headquartered in Kolkata, is a Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. Established in 1884, the company was taken over by the Government of India in 1960. It was the first Indian shipyard to build a warship for the Indian Navy and has since delivered over 800 platforms, including 111 warships for Indian and foreign clients. GRSE is also involved in ship repair, engine production, and the manufacturing of deck machinery, portable steel bridges, and marine pumps.
