Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India has begun to move forward with a new vision for the shipbuilding sector. Mr Modi said this after commissioning three indigenously built Indian Navy platforms – INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray in Kolkata, West Bengal, today.
Designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, the vessels are intended to strengthen combat operations, hydrographic surveying and anti-submarine warfare. Addressing the gathering, Mr Modi said that in recent years, numerous policy reforms have been undertaken by the central government.
The Prime Minister noted that special steps have been taken to enhance domestic construction capacity. He added that shipbuilding, ship repair, and Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) are being viewed as part of a major national mission.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the commissioning of these warships is a sign of India’s future. In his address, Mr Modi said that in the coming years, India’s maritime sector has the potential to create lakhs of new jobs, as the Government considers the maritime sector a job engine of a developed India.
He said, not only defence production in the country has grown rapidly, but also defence exports have increased at an unprecedented pace. He noted that until 2014, India exported defence products worth about 700 crore rupees. And today, this figure has increased to nearly 40 crore rupees.
INS Dunagiri, a Project 17A stealth frigate, is armed with BrahMos missiles and medium-range air defence systems. INS Sanshodhak is a survey vessel designed for coastal and deep-water hydrographic operations, while INS Agray is an anti-submarine warfare craft equipped with torpedoes, rocket launchers and sonar systems for coastal defence.
The Navy said the vessels have more than 75% indigenous content and involve over 200 micro, small and medium enterprises, highlighting the growth of India’s domestic shipbuilding industry.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the tri-commissioning of INS Dunagiri, INS Agray, and INS Sanshodhak is going to be a defining moment in India’s Maritime Capability Development. In a social media post, the Minister said that these state-of-the-art platforms are a testament to the country’s robust defence manufacturing ecosystem and its unwavering resolve towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Mr Singh said that these ships now stand ready to safeguard India’s national interests and ensure a secure Indian Ocean.
