India Plans to Build Polar Research Vessel
Kongsberg Maritime signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) during Nor-Shipping 2025 initiating a collaborative effort to explore the design of India’s first indigenous polar research vessel.
Kongsberg Maritime signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) during Nor-Shipping 2025 initiating a collaborative effort to explore the design of India’s first indigenous polar research vessel.
The proposed vessel is to support a wide range of scientific missions, including climate research, oceanography and polar logistics. It will incorporate Kongsberg Maritime’s integrated technologies to ensure safe, efficient and environmentally responsible operations in polar regions.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in India’s ambitions to strengthen its polar research capabilities and scientific presence in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. While still in the exploratory phase, the MoU reflects the strategic importance of polar science and the increasing global demand for advanced, sustainable research platforms.
Kongsberg Maritime brings decades of ship design expertise, including the successful delivery of complex polar research vessels for nations such as the United Kingdom and Norway.
