In a development that some analysts have termed a step towards transitioning from ‘Make in India’ to ‘Make from India’, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, (GRSE), a Miniratna (Category 1) defence PSU and a leading warship-building company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday with Naval Group of France, a leader in the European maritime defence industry. The two firms will collaborate in the field of surface ships that will cater to the requirements of India and international naval forces.
Under the administrative control of the defence ministry, GRSE primarily attends to the shipbuilding needs of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.
The MoU was signed for GRSE by its director of personnel Commodore PR Hari (retd). Under the agreement, the two entities will collaborate and engage to offer high-end surface ships based on the sea-proven Gowind design developed for the export market. Having built over 100 warships for Indian and foreign naval forces, GRSE will work closely with French and Indian industries.
The pact also seeks to leverage the capabilities of both firms for meeting the growing requirements of the shipbuilding industry and offer a robust world-class product, utilising the state-of-the-art capabilities of both the organisations. This blend of modern technology, innovation and management of resources by Indian and French naval industrial leaders will be a real value proposition for international navies, officials say.
Highlighting the importance of the collaboration Rear Admiral VK Saxena (retd), chairman and managing director of GRSE, said, “Our association with Naval Group of France aims to set a new benchmark in capitalising the export market in the Indo-Pacific region. The partnership will set new ground for surface shipbuilding using design and technology assistance from Naval Group. This will not only bring mutual benefit to both the nations but also enable GRSE to deliver surface ships to Friendly Foreign Countries in line with our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’.”
On the occasion of the inking of the MoU, Alain Guillou, senior executive vice president of international development, Naval Group, congratulated the teams. “This extension of cooperation with GRSE, with whom we had worked for the propulsion system of Kamorta Class ASW Corvettes, clearly highlights our long-term investment in India and emphasises the potential of strategic relations between France & India in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
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