To mark the day, a series of
events were organised in Mumbai, presided over by Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar
Aramane. These included the inauguration of adjacent
land acquired from Mumbai
Port Authority (MPA); launch of a prototype of indigenous
midget submarine; commissioning of Solar Electric Hybrid boat & Fuel
Cell Electric Ferry; release of MDL’s Commemorative Coin; and a day-long
technical seminar.
In his address, the Defence Secretary termed the MDL as a precious jewel of India, which has
immensely contributed towards the nation’s economy and security by building
up the capabilities for Naval as well as commercial purposes. He commended the
MDL for being the country’s biggest shipyard contributing through most of the
assets of the Indian Navy, having a big export market and collaboration with
foreign players.
Shri
Giridhar Aramane asserted that India occupies a central role in the
Indo-Pacific region and consistent efforts are being made
to strengthen the shipbuilding capabilities of the country by involving &
motivating the private sector to be a part of the country’s growth story.
Underscoring the importance of achieving self-reliance in today’s times,
he exhorted the MDL to fully realise its true potential in warship
building technology. He urged the shipyard to work with the private sector and
build a consortium of shipbuilders to cater to the domestic needs as well as
the requirements of friendly nations.
The Defence Secretary highlighted the major role being
played by the Indian Navy in providing security to the region and beyond,
including its operations in the Arabian Sea. He stated that the geopolitical scenario is such that the Navy
will continue to play a pivotal role, for which shipbuilders will have to
contribute immensely.
The contiguous piece of land, acquired from the MPA,
was inaugurated by the Defence Secretary. This would be developed for
simultaneous construction and outfitting of new builds &
repairs/refits of various types of vessels. The new infrastructure will give
adequate bandwidth to the shipyard for simultaneous execution of various
projects.
The MDL has successfully completed the platform design
and hull of the midget submarine named ‘Arowana’ which was launched by Shri
Giridhar Aramane. The shipyard has been
building submarines since 1984 with foreign design. It has also commenced
the design and development of an indigenous conventional submarine. Midget
Submarine is being developed as a proof of concept. The team is parallelly
working on the development of design of full-scale conventional submarine by
2028.
The Defence Secretary also commissioned the Solar
Electric Hybrid boat with top speed of 11 Knots designed and co-developed with
indigenous technology partner. The running cost is almost 1/10th of a
diesel boat, and has a very low maintenance cost. A 24-passenger Fuel Cell
Electric Ferry named ‘SUCHI’, conceptualised by MDL and co-developed with
indigenous technology partner was also commissioned. Its advanced technology
has zero emissions, low acoustic signatures, leading to cleaner waterways and
contributing to environmental conservation.
Shri Giridhar Aramane
to commemorate 250 years of MDL’s existence, released a coin, issued by
RBI, crafted to honor the rich history & enriching legacy of the shipyard. From a small dry dock in 1774 to its
incorporation in 1934, and subsequently, its stewardship under the Government
of India since 1960, the completion of 250 years of MDL is a milestone that
marks a testament of resilience, growth and enduring legacy