Indian Navy Issues ₹50,000 Crore RFP for Four Indigenous Landing Platform Docks

The Indian Navy has officially taken a monumental step forward in expanding its expeditionary and blue-water power projection capabilities. On October 19, 2026, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar announced during the curtain-raiser briefing for the Swavlamban 2026 innovation and indigenisation seminar that the Ministry of Defence has formally released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for four 30,000-tonne Landing Platform Docks (LPDs). Estimated at approximately ₹50,000 crore (roughly $5.26 billion), this procurement initiative stands as one of the most ambitious warship building programs ever undertaken by the nation, surpassed in sheer scale only by the construction of the 45,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

Evolution of India's Expeditionary Capability and Program Background

The issuance of the RFP marks the transition of a long-envisioned requirement into a concrete acquisition process. The Indian Navy's strategic focus on acquiring modern amphibious platforms dates back over a decade, driven by the imperative to project force across maritime zones and respond rapidly to regional crises. Currently, the Navy's primary amphibious assault platform is INS Jalashwa, an Austin-class amphibious transport dock acquired second-hand from the United States Navy, supported by older, smaller tank landing ships. While these vessels have provided essential service in amphibious exercises and humanitarian missions, their operational capacity and service lives necessitate a comprehensive fleet modernization.

Formal momentum for the new LPD project gathered in October 2025 when the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded its Acceptance of Necessity (AoN). This followed preliminary market exploration through a Request for Information issued in August 2021. Under the current tendering framework, shortlisted domestic shipyards have been invited to submit comprehensive technical and commercial bids. The initiative aligns directly with the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, ensuring that all four massive warships will be constructed within domestic shipyards, creating an extensive industrial ripple effect across the national engineering and manufacturing sectors.

Engineering Specifications and Advanced Platform Technologies

The proposed Landing Platform Docks are engineered to operate as multi-role capital ships capable of executing amphibious assault, troop transport, command-and-control, and disaster-relief operations. Each vessel will feature a displacement exceeding 30,000 tonnes and an overall length of approximately 220 metres. To support long-range sustained deployments, the platforms are designed with an operational range of up to 10,000 nautical miles at economical speeds, supported by a machinery endurance of 45 days and logistical support capacity to sustain onboard forces for up to 60 days without replenishment.

A defining technical feature of the platform is its Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) system. Utilizing centralized electric power generation to drive propulsion motors and onboard service networks, IFEP offers superior acoustic stealth, operational flexibility, fuel efficiency, and surplus electrical power generation required to support future high-energy sensor and weapon systems. The ships are specified to achieve maximum speeds of 20 knots or higher, with standard cruising speeds ranging between 14 and 16 knots.

Operational functionality centers on a large stern well dock, a floodable internal chamber that allows amphibious craft to float directly into and out of the vessel. The well dock is designed to accommodate a mixed fleet of landing craft, including Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP), Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM), and high-speed Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft. Above the well dock, expansive multi-deck vehicle garages are engineered to transport heavy combat equipment, including main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, and specialized logistics trucks.

Airborne troop insertion and vertical replenishment capabilities are provided by a full-length flight deck and integrated hangar facility capable of housing and servicing heavy transport and multi-role utility helicopters simultaneously. To sustain amphibious landing forces, each vessel will accommodate approximately 900 fully equipped combat troops in addition to a permanent ship complement of roughly 530 officers and sailors. The ships will also feature comprehensive medical and surgical suites, enabling them to function as primary hospital platforms during major humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) deployments.

For self-defence and offensive capability, the platforms will be fitted with sophisticated combat systems. The defensive armament includes a 32-cell Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) system for point and area air defence, along with 16 Surface-to-Surface Missiles (SSM) for anti-ship and land-attack roles. The sensor suite comprises advanced E/F-band air and surface search radars, C/D-band surveillance radars, optical tracking arrays, and Infrared Search and Track (IRST) systems, all integrated into a unified indigenous Combat Management System (CMS).

Domestic Shipbuilding Landscape and Teaming Arrangements

The ₹50,000-crore LPD program has energized India's naval shipbuilding industrial base, pitting leading public and private shipyards against one another in a landmark commercial competition. State-owned defense shipbuilders—including Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam—are actively preparing their technical proposals. To bolster their design and execution capabilities, domestic yards have forged strategic partnerships with international naval design houses.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited has entered into an exclusive teaming arrangement with domestic partner Swan Shipyard to optimize facility utilization and slipway availability. Cochin Shipyard Limited has aligned with South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to leverage advanced modular shipbuilding methods. Hindustan Shipyard Limited has partnered with France's Naval Group to access world-class amphibious warship engineering expertise. Meanwhile, in the private sector, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) finalized a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Spain's Navantia on October 8, 2026, in Madrid. Navantia's proven amphibious assault ship designs, such as the Spanish Navy's Juan Carlos I and Australia's Canberra-class landing helicopter docks, serve as the baseline for L&T's technical proposal.

Strategic Implications and Mandatory Test Infrastructure Needs

The acquisition of four 30,000-tonne LPDs fundamentally alters the strategic calculus of the Indian Navy, transforming it into a formidable expeditionary force capable of maintaining continuous blue-water presence across the Indian Ocean Region and beyond. By enabling joint force operations alongside the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, these vessels will allow military commanders to rapidly assemble, transport, and project air-land combat power onto hostile or contested shores without relying on established port infrastructure.

From an industrial and systems engineering perspective, constructing platforms of this magnitude presents complex manufacturing and quality assurance challenges. Integrating IFEP drive trains, heavy-duty hydraulic well-dock actuation systems, high-pressure gas purge networks for vertical missile launchers, and high-flow cryogenic and aviation fuel distribution lines requires stringent validation prior to sea trials. Every hydraulic manifold, high-pressure gas system, and automated power management loop must undergo extensive ground-based simulation and stress testing to ensure flawless operational reliability under extreme maritime conditions.

As Indian shipyards prepare to build these complex 30,000-tonne vessels, Neometrix Defence Limited stands ready to support national naval indigenization with custom-engineered hydraulic test benches, high-pressure gas testing systems, and turnkey ground support test infrastructure essential for validating mission-critical maritime systems.