Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) on Tuesday delivered the INS Malwan to the Indian Navy, the second in its eight-vessel deal for Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWCs).
Measuring 80m long with a displacement of around 1,100 tonnes, this warship is designed for underwater surveillance, anti-submarine warfare in coastal waters, low-intensity maritime operations (LIMOs), and mine warfare.
Built with indigenous excellence, the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft by Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi, marks another step in strengthening India’s maritime capabilities. Named after the historic coastal town of Malwan, it reflects India’s rich maritime legacy… pic.twitter.com/DXrOztxo8a
— Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (@shipmin_india) April 1, 2026
The INS Malwan is equipped with waterjet propulsion, lightweight torpedoes, Indian-origin ASW rockets, and advanced radar and shallow-water sonar systems, making it a formidable addition to India's ASW SWC fleet.
This makes it the Indian Navy's largest warship to be propelled by a diesel engine working in tandem with a waterjet propulsion system.
Featuring a 90 per cent indigenous design in line with the Indian Navy's specifications, the new vessel is also compliant with the Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an international certification body, and is a major step forward for India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.
The delivery and protocol signing for the warship also took place on Tuesday, which saw the presence of a number of officials from the Indian Navy and the CSL.
The delivery & the protocol signing of ‘MALWAN’- the Second Anti Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC), build by CSL, was held today. The protocol signing was done by Dr Harikrishnan S, Dir(Ops),CSL & Cdr Pravin Kumar Tiwari, Commanding Officer (Designate), INS MALWAN… pic.twitter.com/0hsJZsU1Ge
— Cochin Shipyard Limited (@cslcochin) April 1, 2026
Notably, the new warship draws its name from the storied coastal city of Malvan, located in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg region.
The city of Malvan has an important maritime connection—it was an important part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's naval strategy to secure India's western coast, which later led to the development of what is today the Indian Navy, as a result of which Shivaji is known as the Father of the Indian Navy.
The INS Malwan also gets its name from the erstwhile Indian naval minesweeper of the same name, which remained in service till 2003. A minesweeper is a type of vessel designed to locate and clear naval mines at sea by detonating them.
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