INS Androth (2023)

For other ships with the same name, see INS Androth.

Template:Infobox ship INS Androth is the second ship of the Arnala class of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) of the Indian Navy. The ship was commissioned on 6 October 2025.

History

Background

On 23 December 2013, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) –- the main acquisition panel subordinate to India's Ministry of Defence (MoD), approved the procurement of sixteen anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessels capable of operating in shallow waters, at a cost of ₹13,440 crore (equivalent to ₹180 billion or US$2.6 billion in 2019), to replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes of the Indian Navy – which were commissioned between 1989 and 1991. This includes the development of the vessels with about 700 t (690 long tons; 770 short tons) displacement and an operational radius of 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi) from its home port. They would be built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).

In June 2014, the MoD issued a tender, worth USD2.25 billion under the 'Buy and Make India' category to private-shipyards – including Larsen & Toubro (L&T), ABG Shipyard, Pipavav Defense and Offshore Engineering, Goa Shipyard (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), for the procurement of the 16 anti-submarine vessels.

In October 2017, Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) emerged as the first and the second-lowest bidder in the tender, respectively. CSL had quoted a value of ₹5,400 crore (US$829.22 million) while GRSE had to match the bid value of CSL in order to get the contract.

Purchase

On 29 April 2019, the MoD and GRSE signed a contract, valued at ₹6,311.32 crore (US$880 million), for eight anti-submarine vessels, to be delivered between 2022 and 2026. The contract mandates the first vessel to be delivered within 42 months of the date of signing, with the remaining seven vessels delivered at a rate of two ships per year within 84 months.

On 30 April 2019, the MoD and CSL signed a similar contract for the construction of the remaining eight vessels – within a deadline of 84 months. Under this contract, the first ship was also expected to be delivered within a span of 42 months, with subsequent deliveries of two ships per year.

Construction

GRSE formed a Public Private Partnership alliance with Larsen & Toubro involving its Kattupalli Shipyard to undertake the entire ASW SWC project along with the Survey Vessel (Large) Project.

The keel laying ceremony of the ship was conducted on 21 December 2021 at GRSE Main Works Unit in Kolkata. Christened Androth, the ship was launched into the water of the Hooghly River on 21 March 2023. The chief guest of the event was Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, the then Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, or FOC-IN-C (West).

On 3 March 2025, the Contractor Sea Trials (CST) of INS Androth was completed by GRSE along with INS Himgiri, a -class frigate. As per a press release, "CST is considered the final stage of construction, when a vessel's seaworthiness is tested". The ship was delivered to the Navy on 13 September 2025.

Andorth was commissioned on 6 October 2025 in Naval Dockyard (Visakhapatnam) by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar.

Namesake

The ship, Androth, was named after her predecessor, a retired -class corvette, which itself was a subclass of Soviet-origin -class frigate. The name of these ships are itself inspired by the Androth Island in the Lakshadweep archipelago and reflects the strategic and symbolic significance of the vast maritime territories of India.

Gallery

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  INS Androth launch
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  Androth after GRSE's contractor sea trials
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  Androth (P69) during sea trials.
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  INS Androth during sea trials