GRSE making 7 vessels for overseas mkt

Kolkata: Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd is making seven vessels for foreign countries, out of the 23 ships that are in the different stages of construction, its chairman and managing director Commodore (retd) P R Hari said. GRSE, which had bagged the prestigious Rs 19,294-crore order for the construction of three advanced stealth frigates under Project 17A for the Indian Navy, has already launched two of these ships and the construction of the third one is in full swing.

"Of the 23 ships being developed by GRSE, seven are for foreign countries," Hari said. The Kolkata-based warship maker is constructing six patrol boats for Bangladesh and an ocean-going passenger and cargo ferry vessel for Cooperative Republic of Guyana, he said. After having launched P17A advanced frigate INS Himgiri and large survey vessel INS Sandhayak, GRSE is doing outfitting work on these ships at its FOJ (fitting out jetty) unit before handing these over to the Indian Navy, Hari said.

The second stealth frigate Dunagiri made by the shipyard was launched on July 15 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Among the ships under construction at its sprawling facilities on the bank of the Hooghly river are four large survey vessels, of which Sandhayak is undergoing outfitting. "GRSE is also constructing eight anti-submarine warfare water crafts for the Navy," Hari said. A major supplier for the Indian Coast Guard, the public sector undertaking is making a fast patrol vessel for it, apart from refitting ICGS Sujay, he said.

In its endeavour to introduce green technology in shipbuilding, GRSE has signed a contract with the West Bengal government for the construction of a next-generation electric ferry, Hari said. "I believe that once delivered, this vessel will be a game changer for inland water transport in India and will also have good export potential," he said.