New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): The requirement of special steel for India Navy's ship INS Arnala was wholly supplied by Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), taking a step forward towards the country's self-reliance in the defence sector and import substitution, the Ministry of Steel said in an official statement on Thursday.

'SAIL supplied the entire requirement of special steel for India's first indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), 'INS Arnala', which was commissioned into the Indian Navy on June 18, 2025,' the ministry's statement read.

The Maharatna PSU also catered to the entire requirement of special steel for the other seven ASW-SWC corvettes being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).

'Partnering India's march towards defence indigenisation, SAIL has supplied the entire special steel for this project. This marks yet another impressive milestone in SAIL's journey to support India's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative and help the nation lessen its import dependency,' the statement added.

The Steel ministry also highlighted that SAIL has supplied the special steel for building the Navy's ships before too, including for INS Vikrant, INS Vindyagiri, INS Nilgiri, INS Surat, among other notable projects.

On Wednesday, India's first indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), INS Arnala, was commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan presiding over the ceremony.

'INS Arnala - the pioneering Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft - proudly joins the Indian Navy today, 18 June 2025, at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam,' the Indian Navy said in a statement earlier.

Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, and delivered on May 8 at L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli under a Public-Private Partnership, INS Arnala is the first in a series of eight ASW-SWCs being developed to enhance India's coastal defence, a prior statement from the Minister of Defence said.

The 77-metre-long vessel, named after the historic Arnala fort off Vasai, Maharashtra, is equipped with advanced underwater surveillance systems, mine-laying capabilities, and is designed for operations in shallow waters. It is the largest Indian Naval warship propelled by a diesel engine-waterjet combination.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the ship has been designed for underwater surveillance, search and rescue operations, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).

Notably, INS Arnala was delivered to the Navy during Operation Sindoor, when tensions were heightened, which in turn demonstrates the Navy's operational readiness and indigenous production capacity. (ANI)