New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday signed a contract worth Rs 498.58 crore with Cochin Shipyard Limited for the normal refit and re-powering of Indian Naval Ship 'INS Betwa.'

Under the contract, 'INS Betwa', a Brahmaputra-class frigate of the Indian Navy, will undergo a major propulsion system transformation, involving the replacement of its existing steam-based propulsion system with a diesel-engine-based propulsion system.

The refit will also include the upgradation of its combat capabilities through the installation of a modernised weapon suite, thereby enhancing the ship's operational effectiveness, the statement said.

The contract, signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, will further strengthen indigenous capabilities in the ship repair and maintenance ecosystem, particularly in undertaking complex propulsion system transformation and modernisation of naval platforms. The project is expected to involve more than 50 MSMEs and generate significant employment opportunities across the Indian shipbuilding and ancillary industries.

This project will provide a major impetus to the Government's vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make-in-India’, while reinforcing the country's indigenous naval ship repair and maintenance capabilities, the statement said.

The government has accelerated its push to modernise and expand domestic naval shipbuilding and repair infrastructure through major public sector shipyard contracts.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth Rs 53,866.50 crore with two public sector shipyards for eight indigenously designed Next Generation Corvettes for the Indian Navy. Under the contracts, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata will build five corvettes, while Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) will build the remaining three corvettes.

The project is expected to generate roughly 72 lakh person-days of employment in shipyards and 460 lakh person-days across ancillary industries and MSMEs over the next 10 years.

The project marks a significant milestone in India’s indigenous warship design and construction capabilities as it is the first project in which the ships will be indigenously designed by the Indian Navy and constructed by defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) selected through a competitive process, according to an official statement.

--IANS

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