Kolkata, Aug 11 (IANS) The Navy will require many more advanced warships to continue to ensure free navigation in the seas and the steady flow of energy supplies and other essential commodities to the country, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition, Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, said on Tuesday.

Vice Admiral Sadhu was speaking at the launch of the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) ‘Shruti’ at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd.

“This celebrates the capability of our shipyards to build advanced warships ….. This NGOPV will have 85 per cent indigenous content when it is completed,” he said.

The Vice Admiral noted that the Navy has 44 platforms on order, and all of these are being built by Indian shipyards, “speaking volumes on Atmanirbharta” that the government is now promoting.

“Given the situation in the region, such as the US-Iran war, which has had an impact on vital chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, the Navy is playing a key role in protecting our sea lanes and ensuring the supply of India’s energy requirements and other essential commodities,” he said.

“Versatile warships like the NGOPV Shruti will play an important role in protecting the country’s maritime borders, while carrying out other roles,” he said.

He urged all stakeholders in the shipbuilding industry to ensure the construction of top-quality platforms both for the Navy and other customers.

“India is a true maritime nation with such a long coastline …. The government plans to turn India into a global shipbuilding hub. By 2035, it wants Indian shipyards to build 5 per cent of the ships being constructed across the world. At least 50 per cent of India’s fleet of commercial vessels should be indigenous by then, the government has said,” Vice Admiral Sadhu said.

He went on to say how the government has earmarked Rs 70,000 crore towards this.

The target is for India to rank 5th in the list of shipbuilding nations by 2047, he reminded. “This is achievable. To reach there, our entire workforce and other stakeholders will have to put in a lot of effort. They will have to work hard to achieve targets and build top-quality ships,” the Vice Admiral said, switching to Hindi to reach out to a larger audience, including workers and supervisors at other shipyards.

–IANS

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