In a significant boost to India’s defence self-reliance efforts, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has supplied the complete requirement of special steel for the Indian Navy’s first indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), INS Arnala. The vessel was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Wednesday.
The steel supplied by SAIL has been used entirely in the construction of INS Arnala, reflecting a major stride in the country’s journey towards indigenisation and reduced import dependency in the defence manufacturing sector.
INS Arnala is the lead ship in a series of eight ASW-SWC corvettes being constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. SAIL has provided the complete special-grade steel requirement for all eight vessels under this project.
As a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking and the largest steel producer in India, SAIL has consistently supported the nation’s defence infrastructure. The company has played a vital role in several indigenous defence projects. In addition to INS Arnala, SAIL has previously supplied special steel for notable naval platforms such as INS Vikrant, INS Vindhyagiri, INS Nilgiri, and INS Surat.
