Kolkata, Aug 25 (IANS) Visitors to Kolkata will now get to know about the massive defence shipbuilding facility that exists in the city immediately upon landing at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited has installed an impressive scale model of the Project 17A (Himgiri Class) Advanced Guided-Missile Frigate at the city side of the airport.
The model was inaugurated by Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production) at Ministry of Defence, in the presence of Commodore PR Hari, Indian Navy (Retd) and GRSE Chairman and Managing Director; Indian Navy Captain P. Sunilkumar (Retd), GRSE Director (Corporate Planning and Personnel); and Vikram Singh, NSCBI Airport Director.
This is being seen by GRSE — the largest heavy industry in West Bengal — as a major public-engagement and strategic branding initiative, showcasing India’s growing self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
The newly unveiled installation features a fully weatherproof, 20-metre-long scale model of the ship situated in the open-air space outside the airport terminal building.
The model is fully designed, installed, and maintained by GRSE.
“The non-commercial display serves as a striking landmark for millions of passengers, symbolising “Atmanirbharta” and a proud collaboration between AAI and GRSE while bringing indigenous naval technology prowess of the country closer to the public eye,” the Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) has said.
“The initiative reflects the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’ and underscores the transformative power of ‘Atmanirbharta’ (Self-Reliance) in warship building. Placed at one of Eastern India’s busiest international gateways, the exhibit highlights the country’s technological capabilities and rapid strides in defence manufacturing to domestic and global travellers alike,” it added.
The model represents the Project 17A (Himgiri Class) Advanced Guided-Missile Frigate programme, one of India’s most ambitious indigenous warship-building initiatives. These are the largest Frigates ever built in India and operated by the Indian Navy.
Designed for multi-mission operations, including anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, these next-generation stealth frigates incorporate advanced weapons, sensors and survivability features.
Measuring 149 metres in length and displacing around 6,670 tonnes, the warships are powered by a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system and represent a generational leap in indigenous warship design, stealth, firepower, automation and combat capability.
GRSE has played a pivotal role in the successful execution of Project 17A.
The first GRSE-built frigate, INS Himgiri, was delivered to the Indian Navy on July 31, 2025.
The second one, INS Dunagiri, was delivered on March 30, 2026, and subsequently commissioned into service by Prime Minister Modi on June 21, 2026.
The third and final frigate of the class, Vindhyagiri, being built by GRSE, is currently at an advanced stage of construction.
These technologically advanced warships reflect India’s growing expertise in indigenous warship design and construction and stand as powerful symbols of self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
GRSE became a DPSU in 1960. Since then it has built 808 ships of various classes. Of these, a record 118 were delivered to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard by the premier shipyard.
It has delivered 80 warships to the Navy. This is a record unmatched by any shipyard in the country.
GRSE is currently constructing multiple advanced platforms, including the Project 17A Advanced Frigate, four Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASWSWCs), four Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs), and 30 other platforms, including 13 for export.
GRSE was also the shipyard to build the MCGS Barracuda, the first warship to be exported by India. This is now being operated in the Mauritius Coast Guard. It has also exported a warship, PS Zoroaster, to the Seychelles.
–IANS
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