Indian Navy Inks Deal For Design, Development Of Indigenous 6MW Marine Diesel Engine For Propulsion And Power Generation On Ships

The Indian Navy has inked a Project Sanction Order with Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited for the design and development of a 6MW medium-speed marine diesel engine under the 'Make-I' category.

The 'Make-I' category within the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) refers to government-funded projects aimed at designing and developing equipment, systems, or major platforms, with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) providing funding up to 70 per cent of the prototype development cost.

The signing took place in the presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan at South Block, New Delhi on Wednesday (2 April).

The project will see the development of a prototype diesel engine with over 50 per cent indigenous content, at a cost of Rs 270 crore, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The government will fund 70 per cent of the total cost.

In addition to the 6MW engine, the order also covers the detailed design of diesel engines ranging from 3MW to 10MW.

Currently, most high-capacity marine diesel engines are imported from foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), according to the ministry.

This project marks a critical step towards reducing that dependency and achieving self-reliance in marine engine technology.

The initiative is part of the government’s broader push to indigenise critical defence technologies and promote Aatmanirbharta.

"It will further strengthen indigenous capabilities, save foreign exchange and reduce dependency on foreign OEMs. It will act as a catalyst for the development of defence industrial ecosystem in the country," the ministry said.

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