Kolkata: Ikshak, third in a series of four Survey Vessels Large (SVLs) being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd was handed over to the Navy on Thursday (August 14, 2025).
The delivery that came just a day before the country celebrates its 79th Independence Day, will add more muscle to the Navy, officials say.
Ikshak – the name stands for ‘Guide’ – was delivered 10 months after INS Nirdeshak – the second warship of the series – was delivered on October 8, 2024. The first SVL, INS Sandhayak, after which this class of ships gets its name, was handed over to the Navy on December 4, 2023.
The delivery of the Ikshak comes less than a month after GRSE handed over the Advanced Guided Missile Frigate Himgiri to the Navy.
These SVLs are the largest such vessels of this class to be built in India and operated by the Navy. The Ikshak was accepted on behalf of the Navy by Cmde Arvind Chari, CSO (Tech) (South).
The Ikshak is the 802nd ship and the 113th warship to be built by GRSE. It is the 75th warship to be delivered to the Navy. No other shipyard in India has achieved this feat.
The relationship between GRSE and the Navy goes back 64 years to 1961 when the shipyard delivered the first indigenous warship INS Ajay. Since then, 74 more warships have been added to the list, helping the Navy advance from a ‘buyer’ to a ‘builder’. This is also in keeping with the Government’s Atmanirbharta policy.
The 110-metre-long Ikshak will join INS Sandhayak and INS Nirdeshak after being commissioned and keep the Navy supplied with vital survey data which is very crucial for operational purposes. The maps and charts prepared on the basis of this survey data are also used by commercial shipping.
With advanced equipment on board, the SVLs of this class are capable of full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port and harbour approaches as well as the determination of navigation channels and routes. In addition, these Sandhayak-class of SVLs can undertake surveys of maritime limits and collect oceanographic and geographical data for defence applications, adding muscle to India’s maritime capabilities.
These ships can each carry a helicopter, participate in low-intensity combat and function as hospital ships. They can also be used for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
Propelled by two marine diesel engines combined with fixed-pitch propellers and fitted with bow and stern thrusters to help the ships manoeuvre at low speeds during surveys, they are ideally suited to carry out their designated operations. Fully designed by GRSE to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy, Ikshak was built using ‘Integrated Construction’ technology. This was in compliance with applicable provisions and regulations of the Classification Society (IRS).
GRSE is now building 14 more warships for the Navy, including two P17A Advanced Guided Missile Frigates, one SVL, seven Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts and four Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels.
