Governor West Bengal C.V. Ananda Bose laid the keel for first and second Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV) at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd in Kolkata on November 5. The contracts for indigenous design and construction of 11 NGOPVs were concluded in March 2023 between the ministry of defence, Goa Shipyard Ltd (seven ships) and GRSE, Kolkata (four ships). The NGOPVs with an approximate tonnage of 3000T are envisaged for coastal defence & surveillance, search & rescue operations, protection of offshore assets and anti-piracy missions.