Indian Navy has transformed from buyer to builder: Naval chief

When the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was kicking off his ambitious ?Make in India? campaign in New Delhi last week, for the Indian Navy, the call for strengthening domestic manufacturing was an icing on the cake; it was celebrating the Golden Jubilee of indigenous warship design and construction. Few are aware that from seaward defence boards and tugs and eight INS Sandahyak survey ships to INS Nilgiri and Leander class ships based on borrowed Yarrow design to bigger broad beam Leander class ships with more speed and power, to Delhi class, Shivalik, Kolkota and Arihant ships and aircraft carrier Vikrant?all have been made in India.

In the last five decades, India?s growing maritime self-reliance has facilitated the greater recognition of the role that India plays in providing stability in the Indian Ocean Region. The Directorate of Naval Design (DND) is the bedrock of all warship design activities in the country and has constructed 119 warships and submarines of various types and sizes in our shipyards as of date.

The recently commissioned warships INS Kolkata, INS Kamorta in August this year and INS Sumitra early this month aptly demonstrate the immense potential of the country in indigenous warship design and building capability. The focus of the navy has been indigenisation of platforms, weapons, sensors and equipment, through participation of public and private sectors.

That?s not all, there are 41 ships and submarines under construction at various public and private shipyards within the country. Naval chief Admiral Robin Dhowan said, ?We need to leverage the shipbuilding capacities and capabilities available in our private and public sectors in a holistic manner to ensure that we provide our indigenisation vision the right impetus.? He also urged the ship designers to work in synergy with all shipyards and domain experts and absorb the best practices available the world-over to ensure that our future warships meet best global standards in build quality, timelines and cost. ?It is a matter of great pride that over the decades, we have transformed from a ?Buyer?s Navy? to a ?Builders Navy?,? he stated.

The Indian naval architects first came from IIT Kharagpur and then from IIT Delhi. Kerala and other universities have

today designed India?s first 37,500 ADS indigenous aircraft carrier Project 71, being built at Cochin Shipyard (CSL). Among others, Godavari and Brahmaputra class vessels, all steam propelled, and three Type 15 Delhi class, three Type 17 Shivaliks?all have been made in India.

In smaller warships design, the Project 28 ASW corvettes: the first INS Kamorta is 90% indigenous with specially made steel by SAIL after DRDO and Navy did the initial work. Also, 16 offshore petrol vessels have been built at the Goa Shipyard and we are now exporting them to Sri Lanka.

The Naval Design Organisation has designed more than 80 warships that were built at various Indian dockyards. Three ships of the class?Shivalik, Satpura and Sahyadri were constructed at Mazagon Dock and delivered to the Navy in 2010-11. This P-17 class design incorporates several new design, stealth concepts and cutting edge equipment and systems. This has also bench-marked the design strategies and design procedures for future projects.