Navy commissions INS Samarthak, its first indigenous multi-purpose vessel, at Karwar

The Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak, which it describes as its first indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel, at Karwar in Karnataka on October 16, 2026. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan presided over the ceremony, according to Greater Kashmir and The Free Press Journal.

Who attended and who built it

Both reports say Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was present. Greater Kashmir adds that senior naval officers and representatives of the Ministry of Defence and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) attended. It does not name the ship's builder, though it credits L&T for its work on Project Seabird, a naval infrastructure project at Karwar.

The Free Press Journal reports that the ship was designed and built by L&T Shipyard and that it is the first major warship built by an Indian private shipyard. Its headline says the same. According to that report, Samarthak is the first of four multi-purpose vessels being inducted into the Navy, and it carries an integrated combat suite of indigenous sensors, weapons and electronic systems.

Both reports say the vessel has more than 75 percent indigenous content.

What the ship is meant to do

The two reports list overlapping roles. Greater Kashmir says the ship will serve as a test and evaluation platform for next-generation weapons, sensors and emerging technologies, and will also be used for maritime surveillance, offshore patrolling, launching and recovering targets, operating unmanned systems, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The Free Press Journal gives a similar list: maritime surveillance and patrol, trials of new weapons and sensors, low-intensity maritime operations, deployment of targets, acting as a mothership for unmanned systems, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, conversion to a limited hospital ship, and salvage operations. It quotes a Navy spokesperson as saying the ship's versatility is an advantage in an unpredictable maritime environment.

What officials said

Radhakrishnan said self-reliance in defense is "an emerging reality" and not only an aspiration, Greater Kashmir reported. Both reports say he told the gathering that the platform would help the Navy adapt faster to emerging technological developments.

Where the reports differ

The two reports read differ in how much they say about the builder and fleet plans. Only The Free Press Journal names L&T Shipyard as builder and gives the figure of four vessels. Greater Kashmir does not mention either. Other outlets listed in this story's record, including The Hindu BusinessLine, The Economic Times and The Times of India, carry headlines describing the ship as built by L&T or by a private shipyard, but those reports were not read for this article.