Kolkata, Dec 3 : Commodore P.R. Hari, IN (Retd), chairman and managing director, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, extended his greetings to the Indian Navy ahead of Navy Day 2025 and said that the shipyard will continue to be a partner in its journey as a combat-ready, credible, Atmanirbhar force.

"My congratulations to the Navy and all personnel on this very important occasion. GRSE has been a key partner of the Indian maritime forces over the last 64 years and it was in 1961 that we delivered the countryâ??s first indigenous warship â??Ajayâ??. Between then and now, we have delivered 75 warships to the Navy," Cmde Hari said.

"This year, the Navy celebrated the commissioning of its 100th warship. It is GRSE that delivered the bulk of these platforms and we are proud to have helped the Navy progress from a â??buyerâ?? to a â??builderâ??. GRSE has always stood for Atmanirbharta and today, we have diversified into weapons and equipment that help in adding more indigenous content on our warships," he added.

GRSE has built and delivered 114 warships till now.

These include platforms for the Indian Coast Guard as well. Two of its warships have also been exported to Mauritius and the Seychelles. The GRSE-built Offshore Patrol Vessel that now operates as MCGS Barracuda with the Mauritian Coast Guard was Indiaâ??s first warship to be exported to a friendly foreign nation.

At the moment, the shipyard is building 13 platforms for the Navy.

These include two advanced Guided Missile Frigates under the Navy's Project 17A, one Survey Vessel (Large), six Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts and four Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels.

Another order for five Next Generation Corvettes is on the anvil as GRSE has emerged the lowest bidder for the project.

The shipyard is on an expansion mode and will have the capacity to build 40 ships of various classes concurrently by 2030. These would include warships and commercial platforms. With this additional capacity, the shipyard will be building larger ships.

"We are now manufacturing Naval Surface Guns that have cleared sea trials and been fitted on some of the warships delivered by us. This is again a step towards Atmanirbharta. We have also diversified into ship repairs and over the last three years, we have handled nearly 50 vessels, including warships," Cmde Hari said.

GRSE has also invested heavily in technology, incorporating Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics and Virtual Reality in its shipbuilding processes effectively. This has helped the shipyard design and build advanced warships as per the Navy's requirements.

/IANS