Mumbai, Aug. 22 -- The vessels will be built for Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, intended for use by Geological Survey of India.

The ships are research vessels designed for coastal exploration, with primary activities including offshore geological mapping, mineral exploration with dredging, ocean environment monitoring and research, as well as shipboard data processing and sample analysis in modern, well-equipped scientific laboratories.

The order is valued at Rs 445 crore, plus Rs 22.25 crore towards GST, aggregating to a total order value of Rs 467.25 crore. The vessels will be built under the classification regulations of Indian Register of Shipping.

The execution is scheduled to be completed within 28 months from the date of...