The contract for indigenous design and construction of three cadet training ships was signed on March 23 between the Ministry of Defense and M/s L&T. In this sequence, the steel cutting ceremony of the 3rd Cadet Training Ship (Yard-18005) was held on 20 April 2024 at M/s L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli. The ceremony was presided over by Shri Giridhar Armane, Defense Secretary, in the presence of Shri Arun Ramchandani, Executive Vice President, L&T Precision Engineering & Systems along with other senior officials of the Indian Navy and M/s L&T.
These cadet training ships will be used to impart at sea training to officer cadets after basic training in coastal areas. These ships will also provide training facilities to cadets of friendly countries. These ships are likely to be handed over to the Indian Navy by September 2026. This is another important milestone in the Indian Navy's endeavor towards indigenous shipbuilding and is in line with the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' initiatives of the Government of India. The Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP 2012-27) envisages three cadet training ships for the Indian Navy at its strength level.