GRSE celebrates Navratna status milestone with special cover release
Kolkata, July 17
The achievement of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited of being elevated to Navratna status was celebrated through the release of a Special Cover with Cancellation and My Stamp on Friday.
The Special Cover was released by Ashok Kumar, Chief Postmaster General of West Bengal Circle, in the presence of senior officials of GRSE and India Post.
GRSE was accorded Navratna status by the Department of Public Enterprises under the Union Ministry of Finance in June 2026 in recognition of the shipyard's consistent financial and physical performance over the years.
The conferment of Navratna status marks a defining milestone in GRSE's illustrious journey, reaffirming its operational excellence, financial strength, and strategic importance to the nation's defence ecosystem.
GRSE's financial performance over the last five years reflects its remarkable growth trajectory and operational excellence.
The company's Revenue from Operations has grown from Rs 1,754 crore in FY 2021-22 to Rs 7,002 crore in FY 2025-26.
During the same period, Profit After Tax (PAT) has risen from Rs 190 crore to Rs 748 crore.
A firm proponent of the Union government's Atmanirbharta" and "Make in India" visions, the shipyard has delivered more than 800 marine platforms over the last 66 years.
Of these, 118 were warships that went to the Navy, Coast Guard and Friendly Foreign Nations.
This is the highest number of warships delivered by any shipyard in the country.
GRSE delivered the country's first indigenous warship, INS Ajay, to the Navy in 1961, barely a year after being declared a Defence Public Sector Undertaking.
The shipyard also built the country's first ever export warship, CGS Barracuda for the Mauritius government.
GRSE delivered eight warships in 2025-26. Three of these were delivered on the same day. These three warships, the P17A Advanced Guided-missile Frigate INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, a Survey Vessel (Large) and Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft INS Agray were commissioned into the Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 21.
The shipyard is now building nine warships, including four Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels. It is also working on 30 other platforms. These include 12 multi-purpose vessels for a German client, in keeping with India's 'Make in India' and 'Make for the World' visions.
GRSE has also made a mark in the field of research vessels and is building four of them for the Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratory, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, and Geological Survey of India.
Its Navratna status will allow GRSE to make investments towards enhancing the shipyard's ability and expand operations.
It has already embarked on a mission to increase capacity through both brownfield and greenfield projects to take on more naval and commercial shipbuilding projects.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive numbers, but I wonder how much of this growth is sustainable. The jump from ₹1,754 crore to ₹7,002 crore in five years is huge—hope they can maintain quality alongside this rapid expansion. Still, delivering 8 warships in a single year (including three on one day) is remarkable execution. Let's see how the Navratna autonomy helps them scale further.
Super proud moment for Kolkata and West Bengal! GRSE has been a cornerstone of our city's industrial heritage. Building everything from warships to research vessels—and now even exporting to Germany? That's world-class capability. The special cover release is a lovely way to mark this achievement. More power to our desi shipbuilders! 🚢✨
Interesting how GRSE is now building vessels for a German client. That's a significant step for "Make for the World." The Navratna status will certainly help them invest in capacity expansion. I just hope the brownfield and greenfield projects don't face the usual bureaucratic delays. India needs more such success stories in defence manufacturing.
The 118 warships delivered is mind-blowing! From INS Ajay in 1961 to the latest P17A frigates—what a legacy. And now they're building research vessels for NPOL and GSI too. This is what strategic autonomy looks like. Kudos to the entire GRSE team and the government's push for Atmanirbhar Bharat! Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
While the growth numbers are
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