The Indian Navy’s operational capabilities and indigenous ship-maintenance infrastructure are set to receive a significant boost with the Ministry of Defence signing a Rs 498.58-crore contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited for the major upgrade of INS Betwa. The project, signed in New Delhi on November 11, 2026, in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, will involve replacing the warship’s existing steam-based propulsion system with a modern diesel-engine-based system, alongside substantial improvements to its combat capabilities. The initiative reflects India’s growing emphasis on modernising its naval assets while strengthening domestic expertise in complex warship repair and maintenance.
INS Betwa, a Brahmaputra-class frigate, will undergo a comprehensive transformation under the agreement. Apart from the propulsion system replacement, the refit will include the installation of an upgraded weapon suite to improve the vessel’s operational effectiveness and combat preparedness. The transition to diesel-based propulsion represents a major technological undertaking, requiring specialised engineering expertise and advanced shipyard capabilities.
Beyond strengthening the Navy’s operational preparedness, the project is expected to create a wider industrial impact. More than 50 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are likely to participate in the undertaking, generating employment opportunities across the shipbuilding and ancillary industries. It will also help develop indigenous capabilities in handling complex propulsion conversions, modernisation and maintenance of naval platforms, reducing dependence on external expertise.
The contract is another important step towards the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives in the defence sector. By involving domestic shipbuilding infrastructure and a broad network of Indian industries, the project will strengthen the country's ability to undertake sophisticated naval modernisation programmes within its own industrial ecosystem.
Meanwhile, India's defence research capabilities received another boost with the successful flight test of the Pralay quasi-ballistic missile by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) off the Odisha coast. The test was conducted at approximately 11.10 am from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island as part of user evaluation trials. According to the Defence Ministry, the missile successfully met all its test objectives, with instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur confirming the results.
Developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories, Pralay is a conventional quasi-ballistic missile capable of striking targets at distances of up to 500 kilometres. Its successful flight test marks an important milestone towards its induction into the armed forces. Bharat Dynamics Limited, one of the system's Development-cum-Production-Partners, has manufactured the missile.
Senior DRDO officials, representatives from industry and members of the Defence Forces witnessed the trial. The successful evaluation brings the missile system closer to operational deployment and strengthens India's indigenous precision-strike capabilities. Taken together, the INS Betwa modernisation contract and the Pralay missile trial underline India's parallel focus on upgrading existing military platforms and developing advanced indigenous defence technologies.
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