India has taken the first step to build an indigenous polar research vessel (PRV). The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata and Norway's Kongsberg, Oslo recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) setting the stage for the GRSE to build a Polar Research Vessel (PRV) with “cutting edge design and operational features tailored for extreme polar conditions”. Under the MoU signed in Oslo during Nor-Shipping 2025, Kongsberg will provide “critical design expertise” and the GRSE will build the vessel at its facility in Kolkata.

The GRSE is known for building specialist vessels particularly warships and has so far delivered over 790 platforms, including 110 warships, to the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, as well as to friendly foreign nations i.e. Mauritius, Seychelles and Guyana. A Marine Acoustic Research Ship (MARS) which is deployed for SAGAR MAITRI (Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training & Research Initiative) missions was built by the GRSE. More recently, the GRSE expanded its marine engineering portfolio and signed “strategic” MoUs with Berg Propulsion in Sweden, Denmark based SunStone, German shipping company Carsten Rehder and Dubai-based Aries Marine.

PRV is a specialist vessel and will empower the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR) a dedicated center mandated to undertake to undertake research activities in the polar and southern ocean realms including scientific research cruises. In the past, Indian scientists have participated in several scientific cruises to the Arctic Ocean but these were in collaboration with the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) and the Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) to study biophysical processes involved in and during the Arctic Sea ice melting. The PRV would therefore facilitate Indian scientists to undertake scientific cruises in an Indian vessel and engage in specific scientific requirements of the NCOPR.

The Polar Research Vessel (PRV) project is significant from at least two perspectives. First shipbuilding; India’s current shipbuilding capacity is abysmally low with a market share of just 0.07 per cent in the global shipbuilding industry, and it ranks outside the top 15. The Cochin Shipyard leads with 1.1 lakh DWT capacity followed by Hindustan Shipyard (80,000 DWT). The government is committed to build this sector and aims to emerge among the “top 10 global shipbuilding nations by 2030 and top 5 by 2047”. 

The Indian government has set up a Maritime Development Fund with a corpus of ₹25,000 crore as also encouraged foreign shipbuilding partnership to boost indigenous shipbuilding. South Korea, the third largest shipbuilding country in the world, will help boost indigenous shipbuilding capability. The Korea Marine Equipment Association (KOMEA) a non-profit government entity, has pledged to help build Indian shipbuilding sector. Korean shipyards i.e. Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) in Gujarat is looking to lease 2,000 acres in Kutch district to develop a shipbuilding cluster. The target is to annually build 50 very large crude carriers (VLCC) or similar class of seagoing vessels with 3.2 lakh dead weight tonnage (DWT) capacity each.

Second is about Polar science research. According to Shri Sarbananda Sonowal Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), India is committed to “fostering scientific discovery, advancing India’s capabilities in polar and ocean research, and contributing to global efforts to address pressing challenges like climate change”. India’s Arctic policy document (2022) titled ‘India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development’ is built around six pillars: (a) Strengthening India's scientific research and cooperation, (b) Climate and environmental protection; (c) Economic and human development; (f) Transportation and connectivity; (g) Governance and international cooperation; and (h) National capacity building in the Arctic region.

While India Norway relations get a boost with the GRSE-Kongsberg PRV project, India is also looking to engage Russia which has the longest coastline along the Arctic Ocean. India has invested in energy projects and both sides are keen to explore the mineral wealth of the Arctic region. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the 10,300 kilometers long Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) between Vladivostok and Chennai has immense economic and strategic potential, are flagship initiatives between India and Russia and will potentially widen maritime cooperation. The Russian Maritime Training Institute in Vladivostok which is equipped simulator training facilities has been identified for training Indian seafarers for operations in Polar and Arctic waters.

The PRV is a double-edged sword and boosts India’s scientific contributions to polar–climate-marine science issues as well shipbuilding capability which has long been languishing. The Vessel is also a representation of the Indian government’s commitment to Maritime India Vision 2030 (MIV 2030) and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 (MAKV 2047).

Dr. Vijay Sakhuja is Professor and Head, Center of Excellence for Geopolitics and International Studies (CEGIS), REVA University, Bengaluru and is associated with Kalinga International Foundation, New Delhi.