India Begins Building First Indigenous Hovercraft for Coast Guard

In a boost to Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative the construction of first indigenously made Hovercraft also known as Air Cushion Vehicle for the Indian Coast Guard (IGC) started at the Goa based  Chowgule & Company Pvt. Ltd. The symbolic Girder Laying and Commencement of Erection ceremony of the first Hovercraft was performed at the Chowgule & Company Pvt. Ltd in Goa on 30 July 2025. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Director General (Materiel & Maintenance), Indian Coast Guard Inspector General Sudhir Sahni and officials of the Chowgule and Company Limited.

Contract for Six Indigenous Hovercraft

In October 2024, the Union Ministry of Defence awarded a contract to the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) company Chowgule & Company Pvt. Ltd. to build six Hovercraft based on the Griffon Hoverwork designs.

Until now, India has relied on imported Hovercraft to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Coast Guard. 

The construction of the six Hovercraft will lay the foundation and develop expertise for an indigenous Hovercraft manufacturing sector in the country.

About Hovercrafts 

Hovercrafts, also known as Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs), are designed to have their weight supported primarily by a continuously generated cushion of air.

These vehicles are highly versatile and can travel on a wide variety of terrains, like land, marshes, ice, and water. They do not require any specialised harbour or dock for operations. This makes them highly valuable to security forces such as the Indian Coast Guard and police. The indigenously constructed Hovercraft will aid the Indian Coast Guard in responding quickly to search and rescue missions, patrolling difficult terrains, and other operations.

India’s first indigenous Hovercraft, Nandi 

In 1958, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) was tasked by the Union Defence Ministry with developing an indigenous Hovercraft prototype as a Ground Equipment Machine (GEM)-1.

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was the project leader of GEM-1, and his team built a prototype that was called Nandi. The Prototype was initially successful, but the central government later abandoned the project due to a lack of funding and other priorities.

Indian Coast Guard

Established  -1 February 1978 under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

It is responsible for the country's coastal and maritime security.

Headquarters- New Delhi

Director General - Paramesh Sivamani

Also Read: Samudra Prachet: Final Indigenous PCV for Coast Guard by GSL Launched