Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today stressed the need for self-reliance in making warships, offshore vessels and in other related fields, describing it vital for security of the country. He emphasised the need for good-quality maintenance services in this field aimed at making India a future ship-building hub.
Addressing the Bhumi Pujan ceremony for five projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited (YIL) in Kolkata worth approximately 3400 crore rupees, Mr Singh said Atmanirbharta is the need of the hour. He said GRSE could lead in future ship building. The Minister also informed GRSE is building a cargo ship for Germany.
Emphasising the need to rely on the indigenous defence products, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh today mentioned that the armed forces are now showing more interest in the products made by India’s defence public sector undertakings.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was present on the occasion. The minister said a growing vacuum in the shipbuilding sector worldwide can be captured by India under the “Make in India” campaign. To realise a Viksit Bharat by 2047, the contribution of GRSE and Yantra India Limited would be immense.
Rajnath Singh also lauded the efforts of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for the state government’s co-operation to realise the aim of Vikshit Bharat by 2047.
The minister said due care should be given to quality assurance and timely delivery of defence products for exports to the world. He mentioned that the armed forces are now relying on indigenous products for defence needs.
Mr Singh said the State government is providing full cooperation in connection with internal security. He hoped the state would take steps to usher in a new renaissance of development with the launch of new projects. He mentioned that 11,000 acre lands have been provided by the state government for new projects.
He said the Navratna company GRSE Limited has provided more than 100 vessels in recent times. The minister informed that YIL is not only providing traditional weapons but also research and development.
Among the five projects, three projects of GRSE mark a significant step towards enhancing the shipyard’s manufacturing capacity and infrastructure. Advancing the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India vision, these projects will enable the company to meet the growing requirements of the Maritime Forces and other defence and maritime stakeholders.
The Bhumi Pujan ceremonies were conducted simultaneously at Kidderpore, Shalimar, Raichak and Ishapore across West Bengal.
