Scaling New Heights: GRSE launches 2 Warships and lays keel of third on Same Day

Kolkata: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd set a new standard in shipbuilding by launching two warships of different classes together on 13 Jun 23. The keel of a third vessel was also laid, highlighting GRSE’s professional approach toward the timely delivery of warships to the Indian Navy. 

INS Anjadip, the 3rd Anti-Submarine Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) was launched by Smt. Priya Pandit, wife of Vice Admiral R B Pandit, PVSM, AVSM, Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command, while INS Sanshodhak, the 4th Survey Vessel Large (SVL) was launched by Smt. Tanvi Arora, wife of Vice Admiral Adhir Arora, AVSM, NM, Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India. Keel for the 7th ASWSWC being built by GRSE was also laid during the day, in the august presence of Vice Admiral R B Pandit, PVSM, AVSM, Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command. 

Those present at the ceremony included Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh AVSM, VSM, CWP&A, Vice Admiral Adhir Arora, AVSM, NM, Chief Hydrographer, to the Government of India, Cmde P R Hari IN (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, and Senior Officials from Indian Navy & GRSE.

GRSE is now building eight ASWSWCs and four SVLs for the Indian Navy and the Ships are at various stages of completion. The INS Anjadip was the third vessel of this series to be launched and INS Sanshodhak is the fourth and last in the series of SVLs being built by GRSE.    

INS Anjadip is named after an island close to India’s Western coast that is now part of Indian Naval base INS Kadamba. Anjadip offered strong resistance in 1961, when India took back Goa from the Portuguese. The island also has a memorial for the brave Indian marines who were martyred there. This ship is also the reincarnation of a soviet era ASW Ship of the Indian Navy which was decommissioned in Dec 2003.

ASWSWCs require less draft and can operate close to the coast, searching for underwater threats and neutralizing enemy assets such as midget submarines and mines. Equipped with advanced sonar and armed with the latest weaponry, such as lightweight torpedoes and ASW rockets, these warships will pack a tremendous punch, once they become operational. 

Sanshodhak in Hindi stands for “discoverer or investigator”. This is an apt name for the SVL that will be carrying out hydrographic surveys to chart the ocean floor and provide valuable information on our seas and oceans for defence purposes. 

GRSE has been moving from strength to strength to develop itself into one of the top shipbuilders in the world. It has also been contributing to the Government’s Atmanirbharta efforts through indigenisation. Ships built by GRSE now have nearly 90% indigenous content. 

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Speaking at the occasion, Vice Admiral R B Pandit said, “I note with a sense of pride that GRSE, over the last six decades has grown in capability delivering over 100 warships to the nation. These range from Fast Patrol Vessels to Landing crafts, Survey Vessels, Corvettes, Frigates and Fleet Tankers, reflecting a very high degree of competence and capability nurtured by the Yard over the years. GRSE as a result of its sustained good work has gained recognition worldwide, and I am confident that the shipyard will scale greater heights in the years to come. I further congratulate GRSE & L&T Shipbuilding for a successful partnership.

The collaboration between the two is a befitting example of a Public-Private partnership which is a desired framework for the indigenous warship construction capabilities. This successful model will be closely watched and I am sure it would set the path for similar future collaborations in warship construction in our country. Given the positive spirit and enthusiasm, I see today in the entire warship-building ecosystem in our country, I am confident that this will grow from strength to strength and contribute to the economic well-being of our nation way beyond its fair share.”

Cmde P R Hari said, “This is indeed a very momentous occasion, that we are here to launch two ships, that too of two different warship building projects concurrently. I am also happy to inform you that we will also be laying the keel of another vessel, an Anti-Submarine Shallow Water Craft and therefore this is an event where we will be setting new standards.” He further added, “The ASW Shallow watercraft project has 08 ships, and the Survey Vessel Large Project-04 ships, we launched the first SVL on the 5th of December 2021 and thereafter we have been launching a ship every six month with the last ship being launched today.

As far as the ASW Shallow watercraft project is concerned, we launched the first ship on 20th of December 2022, and are churning out a ship every 03 months and we intend maintaining this tempo. I am very confident that the next phase, that is from launch to delivery is much much tougher and together Navy, GRSE and our partners, shall be able to meet the expectations in terms of delivery and quality.” 

While appreciating the efforts of all stakeholders in making the two ship concurrent launch a reality, Cmde PR Hari said, “The Indian Navy, The Naval headquarters, the Production Directorates, the Directorates of Ship Production, the Warship Design Bureau, the professional directorates have proactively and positively approached problems not only from the technical perspective but also from the project perspective and that is a very positive change that we have observed during the course of these projects”

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About GRSE:
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, FPV “SCG PS Zoroaster” to Govt of Seychelles and 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 785 platforms including 108 warships for Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and Government of Mauritius & Seychelles Coast Guard - 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, 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 modernization over past decades and delightful impact was perceived in the concurrent construction of 20 ships at a time. Team of highly skilled design engineers and state of art VR Lab & latest software cater to 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.

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