Kolkata. Very few are aware of the fact that Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata, a premier warship building company, is also a pioneer in manufacturing of Bailey Type Portable Steel Bridges.
GRSE has an Indian market share of over 60% of these modular, easily maintainable and reliable portables bridges. Over 5400 such bridges have been supplied by the company so far, with the Indian Army & Border Roads Organisation (BRO) consuming most of these bridges, mostly for use in the border areas and unfriendly terrains.
The Indian Army extensively uses these bridges for disaster relief operations wherein the specialist Army engineers erect these bridges held in reserve stock. A senior GRSE official stated, “Bailey bridges have been of great assistance in the disaster hit areas and we are proud that our bridges have contributed immensely during these emergent situations. We have also ramped up our production facilities to meet any requirement for more bridges.”
The journey of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd., a premier Warship building Company in India, under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence, a PCMM Level-2 Certified Company, dates back to 1884 when it started its journey as a small workshop to repair vessels of River Steam Navigation Company. The Company was taken over by the Government of India in 1960. GRSE has the distinction of becoming the first shipyard of independent India to build a warship for Indian Navy, the Seaward Defence Boat (SDB) INS Ajay, way back in 1961.
GRSE also built the first ever Indian Export Warship “CGS Barracuda” for Govt. of Mauritius, a Fast Patrol Vessel “SCG PS Zoroaster” for Seychelles and an Ocean-Going Cargo & Passenger Ferry Vessel “MV Ma Lisha” for Cooperative Republic of Guyana. The shipyard was conferred the status of a Miniratna Category I Company in 2006. GRSE has built over 790 platforms including 109 warships for Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and friendly foreign countries – highest warships built & delivered by any Indian shipyard till date. From Frigates, Corvettes, Fleet Tankers, Landing Ship Tank, Landing Craft Utility to Survey Vessels, Offshore Patrol Vessels and Fast Attack Craft – the repertoire is rich and varied.
In addition to shipbuilding & ship repair, GRSE is also engaged in engine production and other engineering activities. The engineering division manufactures deck machinery items, pre-fabricated portable steel bridges and marine pumps. Noteworthy accolades include Raksha Mantri Award 2022 in Designing the most silent ship for Indian Navy for ASW operation, Defence Minister’s Award for Excellence for In-house Design Effort for Offshore Patrol Vessel for Government of Mauritius, CGS Barracuda, Best Performing Defence Shipyard of India for Four Years in a row.
GRSE embraced infrastructure modernisation over past decades and can undertake concurrent construction of 20 ships at a time. Team of highly skilled design engineers and state of art VR Lab & latest software aid in the in-house design capabilities. With proven credentials, the shipyard is on a growth path, reaffirming its motto “In Pursuit of Excellence and Quality in Shipbuilding.
