ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India has supplied the entire specialised steel requirement for INS Mangrol, the Indian Navy’s third Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, in a development that underlines the growing role of domestic steelmaking in defence construction.
AM/NS India is also supplying 100 per cent of the specialised steel required for the full fleet of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts being built for the Indian Navy. The company said its contribution extends beyond the current programme to other naval platforms, including INS Visakhapatnam, INS Surat and INS Malvan.
INS Mangrol was built by Cochin Shipyard with more than 80 per cent indigenous content and has been commissioned into service. The vessel is designed for operations in coastal and shallow waters, where it can undertake anti-submarine warfare, underwater surveillance and low-intensity maritime operations. It is also equipped for mine warfare-related tasks.
The craft’s sensors, sonar and weapon systems are intended to support the detection, tracking and countering of underwater threats. Its operating profile places specialised material requirements on the shipbuilding process, particularly for steel used in naval platforms that must meet demanding standards of quality and reliability.
Ranjan Dhar, Director and Vice-President – Sales and Marketing at AM/NS India, said advanced naval platforms require specialised steel manufactured to the highest standards. He said the company’s steel is supporting the Indian Navy’s modernisation programme while demonstrating India’s manufacturing capabilities.
The supply arrangement illustrates how naval shipbuilding depends on a wider industrial chain that includes steelmakers, shipyards, engineering firms and equipment suppliers. In this case, the material supply is linked to Cochin Shipyard’s construction of a vessel with a high level of indigenous content, connecting domestic steel production with local shipbuilding capacity.
AM/NS India has also supplied steel for major infrastructure projects, including the Chenab Railway Bridge, Anji Khad Railway Bridge and Bogibeel Bridge. Those projects, together with its naval contributions, show the company’s involvement across strategic transport infrastructure and defence manufacturing.
INS Mangrol’s commissioning adds the third vessel of the Mahe class to the Indian Navy. The remaining vessels in the eight-craft programme will continue to require specialised steel as construction proceeds, with AM/NS India set to supply the material for the fleet under the company’s stated arrangement.
