Religious fervour marks Independence Day fete among industries

Visakhapatnam: Pomp and gaiety marked the celebration of 78th Independence Day by the industries across Andhra Pradesh on Thursday with a pledge administered among the employees for achieving excellence in production.

Some of the industries like HPCL Visakh Refinery, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and BHEL Visakhapatnam unit awarded merit certificates to employees who have put in long years of dedicated service.

In his address at Ukkunagaram, RINL CMD Atul Bhatt said “given this background of global and domestic steel demand, RINL is firmly on the path of recovery and during the period, the company concentrated on re-orientation of strategies to optimise product mix and concentrate on niche markets and high-end value-added products."

He said the critical situation of the company was reviewed by a high-level delegation of the Ministry of Steel in May’24. The Union Minister of Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy and Minister of State for Steel Bhupatiraju Srinivasa Varma immediately after taking over in July’24, reviewed the critical position of RINL, held discussions with the bankers and also visited the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant,” Bhatt pointed out.

Hoisting the flat at NTPC Simhadri, Deepanjalinagar, Sanjay Kumar Sinha, Head of Project-Simhadri, spoke about the contribution of the freedom fighters towards nation building. In addition, everyone was informed about the special achievements of the project over the past year.

After reviewing the ceremonial parade, Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) Chairman Dr. Angamuthu extended warm I-Day wishes to all officers, employees, stevedores, stakeholders and others. He underscored VPA’s commitment to deepening its engagement with the citizens of Visakhapatnam through the development of essential infrastructure that benefits both the port and the local community.

Dr. Angamuthu announced that VPA, in collaboration with the NHAI and the Railways, is set to invest approximately Rs.300 crore in various projects aimed at enhancing the port and improving the lives of Vizag’s citizens. He also highlighted VPA's active collaboration with the State Government to channel CSR funds into numerous developmental initiatives.

At celebrations held by Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCIL), its Managing Director and CEO Durgesh Kumar Dubey, reflected on the illustrious 50-year history emphasising its crucial role in maintaining navigational channels across the nation's ports. He highlighted how DCIL’s consistent efforts have significantly contributed to maritime trade and the economic growth of the country.

At I-Day celebrations by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL), its CMD Cmde Hemant Khatri, IN (retd.) congratulated the employees for their dedicated efforts, which resulted in a record turnover of Rs 1,413 crore, the highest since inception. He highlighted significant advancements in HSL's operational, financial performance, reforms undertaken, transformation achieved thus far and laid a vision for next 10 years. These achievements signify the emergence of a ‘New HSL’ – a beacon of Innovation, quality, and progress.

At a function held at Duvvada, Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone Development Commissioner Srinivas Muppaala said VSEZ during the last one year, achieved exports of Rs.2,24,631 crore during 2023-24 with an overall growth of 24 per cent over

the previous year. He said the Central Government SEZ at VSEZ-Duvvada, recorded exports of Rs.7,733 crore during 2023-24 with a growth of 65 per cent over the previous year.