VISAKHAPATNAM, Oct. 6 — The Indian Navy on Monday commissioned INS Androth, the second of its next-generation Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), aimed at detecting and neutralising enemy submarines operating near the coast.
Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, formally commissioned the vessel at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. “INS Androth will enhance our coastal and shallow water surveillance capabilities, strengthening maritime security in the eastern seaboard,” he said.
The first ship of the class, INS Arnala, was commissioned in June this year. The Androth takes its name from an island in the Lakshadweep archipelago.
The 77.6-metre-long warship, displacing 1,490 tonnes, was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata in collaboration with L&T’s Kattupalli shipyard in Tamil Nadu. The Navy has contracted 16 ships of this class at an overall cost of nearly ₹13,000 crore, with GRSE and Cochin Shipyard Limited manufacturing eight vessels each.
“The primary role of these ships is to detect, track, and prosecute enemy submarines in coastal and shallow water regions,” said a Navy spokesperson. “INS Androth is equipped with advanced underwater sensors, including the hull-mounted Abhay sonar, an underwater acoustic communication system, and a low-frequency sonar, enabling comprehensive underwater surveillance.”
To counter underwater threats, the vessel features a modern weapons suite that includes lightweight torpedoes, rockets, anti-torpedo decoys, and advanced mine-laying capabilities.
The ship incorporates more than 80 per cent indigenous content, with major contributions from Indian defence firms such as Bharat Electronics Limited, L&T, Mahindra Defence, and MEIL. The project has also engaged over 55 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), promoting domestic industry and generating economic activity.
