Frigate purchase from Russia hit by high cost of warship building

A contract with Russia for four Grigorivitch-class frigates, urgently needed by the Indian Navy, is being delayed by the high-cost of building two of them in Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), as the defence ministry insists.

New Delhi and Moscow have agreed terms for the first two frigates, which are lying almost fully built in Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. For those, New Delhi has negotiated an attractive price of under $1 billion (Rs 68.5 billion) – or Rs 34.25 billion each.

Those two frigates could be delivered quickly to India, as soon as they are fitted with Ukrainian Zorya gas