1. MDL lays keel of Multi-Purpose Hybrid Vessel

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited marked a significant milestone with the keel laying ceremony of the third 7,500 DWT Multi-Purpose Hybrid Vessel (Yard 21003) being built for Navi Merchants at MDL South Yard on May 20. The ceremony was attended by Rasmus Saltofte, CEO of Navi Merchants, along with senior officials from Navi Merchants, DNV and MDL. Equipped with a Hybrid Propulsion System, the vessel reflects MDL’s growing expertise in green and future-ready shipbuilding solutions for the global maritime sector.

2. Delegate General for Armament of France Patrick Pailloux meets Defence Secretary

Patrick Pailloux met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and held discussions on strengthening India-France defence cooperation. The engagement builds on the outcomes of the India-France Defence Ministers’ Dialogue held in Bengaluru in February 2026 and reflects the continued momentum in bilateral defence collaboration.

3. GRSE launches Sanghmitra NGOPV for the Indian Navy

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers launched Sanghmitra, being constructed under the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) project, at Kolkata on May 20. The vessel was launched by Sarita Vatsayan in the presence of Sanjay Vatsayan. Construction of NGOPVs is concurrently underway at Goa Shipyard Limited and GRSE. These indigenously built ships will be used for multi-domain operations, including surveillance and defence in areas of interest, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets and anti-piracy missions.

4. Indian Army launches Kautilya application

The Indian Army has launched ‘Kautilya’, an application aimed at strengthening structured data generation and enabling a digitally empowered, AI-ready ecosystem. The application supports tablet-based data entry at source and integrates with other Indian Army data platforms. Equipped with AI-enabled dashboards and NLP-powered interfaces, Kautilya is expected to enhance analytics, real-time decision-making and administrative efficiency across the force.

5. RM Rajnath Singh meets South Korean Minister for Defense Acquisition Program Administration

Rajnath Singh held a meeting with Lee Yong-chul in Seoul. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral defence industrial cooperation through joint development, joint production and joint exports by leveraging the complementary strengths of both countries. The two sides also discussed the roadmap for the ambitious KIND-X initiative aimed at synergising the innovation ecosystems of India and the Republic of Korea.

Chakra Desk

Chakra News is a specialised digital media platform committed to in-depth coverage of India’s defence, national security, geopolitics, and critical technologies.