Defence Ministry signs a contract of about Rs 500 crore with Cochin Shipyard to refit and re-power INS Betwa

11 November 2026

The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract worth Rs 498.58 crore, about Rs 500 crore, with Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Normal Refit and Re-powering of INS Betwa, a Brahmaputra-class frigate of the Indian Navy. The heart of the job is to take out the ship's steam-based propulsion and put in a diesel-engine-based system, which is cheaper to run and easier to maintain. The warship will also get a modernised weapon suite so that its fighting strength matches newer vessels. Officials expect more than 50 micro, small and medium enterprises to work on the project, which will create jobs in shipbuilding and in the industries that feed it. The ministry has placed the work under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India push for defence repair capacity within the country. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh was present when the contract was signed in New Delhi. Cochin Shipyard Limited is a public sector shipyard at Kochi in Kerala.