More foreign ships choosing Indian shipyards for complex refits: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said India is emerging as the preferred sustainment and repair hub for the entire IndoPacific region backed by a rapidly advancing shipbuilding ecosystem that is now delivering multiple worldclass naval platformsSpeaking as the chief guest at Samudra Utkarsh a seminar showcasing the capabilities of Indian shipyards Singh said the growing number of ships from friendly foreign nations seeking complex refits in India reflects rising global confidence in the countrys technological strength reliability and competitiveness in the maritime domainHe said Indian shipyards today possess the maturity and industrial depth to produce some of the most advanced defence platforms in the IndoPacificShips from friendly foreign nations are increasingly coming to Indian shipyards for complex refits This is a clear recognition of Indias capability reliability and competitiveness Singh noted adding that Indias ambition is to become the regions primary maintenance repair and overhaul MRO destinationThe Defence Minister underlined that India is among the few nations capable of designing and constructing sophisticated warshipsHe mentioned that shipbuilders such as Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers GRSE and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders MDL are producing stateoftheart stealth frigates destroyers and nextgeneration antisubmarine warfare and shallowwater vesselsGoa Shipyard Limited Singh pointed out is building hightechnology offshore patrol vessels and missile variants while MDLs Kalvariclass submarinesbuilt with steadily increasing levels of indigenisation demonstrate Indias growing competence in underwater warfare systemsThese flagship projects highlight the countrys expanding design capability automation strength and systemsintegration expertiseSingh also mentioned the growing contribution of Indian shipyards to the global commercial and valueadded maritime sectorCochin Shipyard Limited has delivered advanced passenger and cargo vessels coastal ferries pollutioncontrol and research ships and is currently constructing the worlds most advanced deepsea mining support vessel for ISRO and the National Institute of Ocean Technology Larsen and Toubro Shipbuilding has developed highspeed interceptor crafts and offshore patrol vessels that are now beinig exportedExpressing pride in Indias selfreliance Singh said every ship currently under construction for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard is being built in Indian shipyardsWith continuing policy support and expanding capability he expressed confidence that the countrys commercial fleet will also be built entirely in India in the near futureThe Defence Minister said several shipyards are on track to achieve 100 per cent indigenous content within this decade and beyond defence platforms are designing specialised vessels including oceanographic research ships fishery production vessels hydrographic survey ships pollutioncontrol vessels and coastal patrol craftIndian shipyards he added are increasingly adopting environmentally friendly technologies and contributing to climateresilient maritime growthIn doing so the shipyards of Bharat are shaping a sustainable blue economy for the future Singh saidReflecting on Indias long maritime heritage Singh noted that the countrys seafaring legacy dates back to the Indus Valley Civilisation around 2500 BC where archaeological discoveries at Lothal in Gujarat reveal one of the worlds earliest known port cities with advanced dockyards tidal channels and maritime designThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever