Kolkata/ Bengaluru. Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) signed strategic MoUs as part of the ‘BANDHAN’ initiative at Aero India 2021, Bengaluru, that will help the shipyard boost its Shipbuilding and Ship Repair capabilities and identify and explore synergies and partnerships for the niche ‘portable steel bridges’ market in India and neighbouring countries.
The 10 MoUs include one for ‘Transfer of Technology’ for Diesel Engine Infrared Signature Suppression System with M/s NSTL, Vishakhapatnam, one MoU with M/s Sterling Plan B Energy Solutions, Vancouver, Canada for Energy Storage Solutions for Electric/ Hybrid Propulsion in Ships and another with M/s GE Power for Development of Electric/ Hybrid Propulsion for Naval Platforms. In pursuit of the export market an MoU was signed with M/s ASSL, Bangladesh for Cooperation in Shipbuilding.
Other MoUs include collaborations with M/s NHIDCL for Supply of Bailey Bridges; with M/s ECT Marine, Netherlands for Design of Contemporary Dredgers; with M/s CAS Electrical & Automation Pvt Ltd. for Product Development and Service Support for Helo Handling Systems; with IIT Kanpur for Aerodynamic Studies in Ship Design; with M/s Abhyudha Bharat Defence Cluster for Indigenisation of Components; and with M/s Island Ship Repairers for Purpose of Ship Repairs.
Business strategies being adopted by the shipyard include optimum utilisation of shipyard capabilities as well as capacity and cutting down cost for shipbuilding projects of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard. Currently, GRSE is also exploring the Non-Defence shipbuilding market for constructing special ships like Pollution Control Vessels, Air Cushion Vehicles, Research Vessels, Dredgers and Boats for MHA, River crafts for Inland Waterways Authority of India etc.
Moreover, GRSE plans to upgrade and expand the business of Pre-fabricated Steel Bridges, Engine and Engineering products. The shipbuilder’s strategies revolve around shifting to smart manufacturing (Industry 4.0), sparking innovations in automation, robotics and the industrial internet of things. The company is hopeful that introducing Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Interoperability and secured connectivity enabling real time monitoring, control and optimisation of processes, resources and systems – shall enable workload consolidation across Design, Production & Supply Chain Management, significantly in the future.
GRSE is actively pursuing its goal to become an integral part of defence preparedness of the country aimed at self-reliance and has achieved more than 90 per cent indigenisation on its recent projects of Anti-Submarine Corvettes and Landing Crafts. The company is a multidimensional engineering company ensuring high quality, at competitive prices. With a robust order book and continuous initiatives taken towards infrastructure and skill development along with relentless pursuit of exports, GRSE is now poised to grow into a major shipbuilding company of the world and duly realize its vision ‘To become a World Class Shipbuilding & Engineering Company.’
