Marine Gas Turbine Project for Navy: India is getting ready to take a very big step in building its own powerful ship engines. The Indian Navy marine gas turbine project is almost set to get approval from the Defence Acquisition Council. This will happen under the Make-I category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020.
If this approval comes, India will move closer to making its own high power gas turbines for warships. These engines are very important because they push big navy ships like destroyers and frigates through the sea. India depends a lot on engines bought from other countries.
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What is Make-I?
The Make-I category is part of DAP 2020. Under this system, the government shares money with Indian companies to build and test new defence technology. The aim is to help Indian industries grow and reduce buying from foreign companies.
The government can give up to ₹250 crore to each company for building a prototype. But the full project may cost around ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 crore in total. In some cases, up to 70 % of the prototype cost can be paid by the government. This shows strong support from the government side.
This whole plan matches India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat goal. It means India wants to stand on its own in defence and not depend too much on other nations. It also connects new industry growth with national safety.
Currently, the Indian Navy buys most of its marine gas turbines from companies like Ukraine’s Zorya-Mashproekt and America’s General Electric. If India makes its own engines, it will not have to wait for other countries. This will make the Navy stronger and more ready for action.
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Industry Role
In late 2025, the Indian Navy asked Indian companies to show what they can do in gas turbine design and manufacturing. The Navy checked if these firms have good research centers, strong machines for forging and cutting metal, testing labs, and the ability to give long term support. Companies were also judged on how much of the engine can be made inside India and if their plans make sense technically and financially.
The government is also helping research groups like the Gas Turbine Research Establishment and big public sector companies. At the same time, private companies are being given a bigger role. This is a change from older times when only government units handled such big defence projects.
These marine gas turbines are very complex and powerful. The engines must produce between 24 and 28 megawatts of power. They have to work for long hours in salty sea air. Engineers must handle very high heat, strong pressure, and special cooling systems. The engines also need to be fuel efficient and last many years without failure.
If India succeeds then it will gain full control over ship engines for its main warships. It can also save money in the long run because it will not spend so much on imports and foreign repairs. India could even sell these engines to friendly countries in the future.
