Quick answer: Amini is the fifth of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, for the Indian Navy. GRSE delivered the ship to the Navy on 5 November 2026, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Why INS Amini is in the news
A Ministry of Defence release from PIB Kolkata, dated 5 November 2026, said GRSE handed over ‘Amini’ to the Indian Navy that day. Rear Admiral Gautam Marwaha, Rear Admiral (Tech) at Headquarters Eastern Naval Command, accepted the vessel. With this handover, Amini became the 119th warship built by GRSE and the 81st it has delivered to the Navy. The release also noted that GRSE had handed over three platforms on a single day earlier this year: Dunagiri, Sanshodhak and Agray, on 30 March 2026.
The ship has been delivered but not yet commissioned. The ‘INS’ prefix is formally added at commissioning, though the name ‘INS Amini’ is already widely used.
Key facts about INS Amini
- Type: Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, built to hunt submarines in coastal waters.
- Builder: GRSE, Kolkata, a Navratna defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence. Amini’s hull was built at L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli, where it was launched on 16 November 2023.
- Length: about 77.6 metres, with a shallow draught of about 2.7 metres, which suits littoral (near-shore) operations.
- Propulsion: marine diesel engines coupled with waterjets, instead of conventional propellers.
- Weapons: lightweight torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets and an advanced Combat Management System. For surface threats it carries a 30 mm Naval Surface Gun made by GRSE.
- Indigenous content: about 88 per cent for the ASW-SWC programme, as stated in the 2026 release.
- Name: taken from Amini island in Lakshadweep, about 400 km west of Kochi.
The ASW Shallow Water Craft programme at a glance
The Navy is acquiring 16 ASW-SWCs, split between two shipyards. On 29 April 2019 the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with GRSE for eight ships. Under GRSE’s build plan, four are being made in Kolkata and the hulls and part of the outfitting of the other four have been subcontracted to L&T at Kattupalli. The GRSE ships form the Arnala class, which will replace the Navy’s older Abhay-class anti-submarine corvettes. The other eight ships, the Mahe class, are being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
| Parameter | Detail (official figure) |
|---|---|
| Total ships planned | 16 (8 by GRSE, 8 by Cochin Shipyard) |
| Lead ship | INS Arnala, commissioned 18 June 2025 at Visakhapatnam |
| Length | About 77–77.6 m |
| Size | 900 tonnes displacement (2023 release); gross tonnage over 1,490 tonnes (Arnala, 2025 release) |
| Maximum speed | 25 knots |
| Endurance | About 1,800 nautical miles |
| Roles | Anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), mine laying |
| Propulsion | Diesel engine and waterjet combination. Arnala is the largest Indian naval warship to use it |
The two size figures measure different things. Displacement is the weight of water the ship pushes aside, while gross tonnage measures the ship’s internal volume. Do not mix them up in an exam answer.
Why shallow-water anti-submarine craft matter
Large destroyers and frigates are not built for very shallow water close to the coast. Ports, harbour approaches and offshore installations still have to be protected from submarines and underwater mines. A small, shallow-draught ship armed with lightweight torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets can patrol these waters. Because waterjets need no exposed propellers, the craft can move quickly and turn sharply in confined areas. The Defence Ministry says Amini can also work with naval aircraft during anti-submarine missions.
The programme is also an example of indigenous shipbuilding. When the ship was launched in 2023, the Ministry of Defence put the indigenous content of the class at over 80 per cent. The 2026 delivery release put it at about 88 per cent. GRSE says it is now building 13 frontline naval platforms and 36 other vessels, 13 of them for export.
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- Shipyard–ship matching is a common question: GRSE (Kolkata) builds the Arnala class, Cochin Shipyard builds the Mahe class, and Mazagon Dock, Mumbai, built frontline ships such as the destroyer INS Kolkata and the frigate INS Sahyadri.
- Naming is often tested. ASW-SWCs are named after coastal places and islands, such as Arnala (a coastal fort off Maharashtra) and Amini (Lakshadweep).
- Lakshadweep geography can be paired with this news: the islands lie in the Arabian Sea west of Kerala.
- Defence PSU status questions: GRSE is a Navratna defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence.
Practice MCQs
Q1. Amini, delivered to the Indian Navy on 5 November 2026, was built by which shipyard?
(a) Mazagon Dock Ltd (b) Cochin Shipyard Ltd (c) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (d) Goa Shipyard Ltd
Answer: (c) — Amini is the fifth of eight ASW-SWCs ordered from GRSE, Kolkata.
Q2. The Arnala-class ASW Shallow Water Craft are replacing which older class of ships?
(a) Abhay class corvettes (b) Kamorta class corvettes (c) Godavari class frigates (d) Veer class missile boats
Answer: (a) — they replace the Abhay-class ASW corvettes.
Q3. The ship ‘Amini’ is named after an island in which Union Territory?
(a) Andaman and Nicobar Islands (b) Lakshadweep (c) Puducherry (d) Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
Answer: (b) — Amini island is in Lakshadweep, about 400 km west of Kochi.
Q4. What propulsion arrangement do the Arnala-class craft use?
(a) Nuclear reactor and steam turbine (b) Gas turbines with controllable-pitch propellers (c) Diesel engines with waterjets (d) Battery-electric drive
Answer: (c) — marine diesel engines drive waterjets.
Frequently asked questions
What is INS Amini?
Amini is the fifth Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft built by GRSE for the Indian Navy. It is designed to detect and attack submarines in coastal waters.
When was Amini delivered to the Navy?
GRSE delivered Amini on 5 November 2026. Rear Admiral Gautam Marwaha of Headquarters Eastern Naval Command accepted the ship.
How many ASW Shallow Water Craft is the Navy getting?
Sixteen in all: eight from GRSE (Arnala class) and eight from Cochin Shipyard (Mahe class).
What weapons does Amini carry?
It carries lightweight torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets and a GRSE-made 30 mm Naval Surface Gun, controlled through an advanced Combat Management System.
Why is Amini suited to coastal waters?
It has a shallow draught of about 2.7 metres and is driven by waterjets, so it can operate and manoeuvre close to the shore.
Also read on NCA: INS Mahe and the 16 ASW ships | ASW Shallow Water Craft Anjadip | INS Androth commissioned | Monthly defence current affairs PDFs | NDA coaching in Chandigarh
Sources: PIB, Ministry of Defence (5 Nov 2026), PIB release on Amini launch (16 Nov 2023), PIB release on INS Arnala commissioning (18 Jun 2025). Facts as reported up to 7 November 2026.
Featured image background (representative): Defence PRO Visakhapatnam – Indian Navy / Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India.
