NEW DELHI (PTI): The keel-laying ceremony of the fourth Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) was held in Goa on Monday, a step towards augmenting the country's naval maritime prowess, officials said.

The NGOPVs, with an approximate weight of 3,000 tonnes, are designed for coastal defence and surveillance, search and rescue operations, protection of offshore assets and anti-piracy missions, the Defence Ministry said.

Currently, construction of 11 NGOPVs is underway against contracts concluded on March 30, 2023, wherein seven are being built by Goa Shipyard Limited and four by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited in Kolkata, the Ministry's statement read.

The keel-laying ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, as the chief guest, and GSL CMD Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay and other senior officials from the Indian Navy and the shipyard.