Navy chief stresses on need for indigenous production of warships

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan has said that joint efforts by industries, ship builders and foreign collaborators are required to ensure indigenous production of warships.

He added that in the past five decades, India's growing maritime self-reliance facilitated the greater recognition of the role that India plays in providing stability in the region of Indian Ocean.

Admiral Dhowan, during an event to commemorate the golden jubilee of indigenous warship design and construction at Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Bhawan in New Delhi, urged collaborators to synergies efforts for making warships in India.

"I would urge the designers, the ship builders, the industry, the DRDO and other collaborators overseas to synergies their efforts to see that we focus on the fight component with regards to indigenization of weapons and sensors so that the future warships build for the Indian Navy can be 100 percent made in India," said Dhowan.

His remarks come when Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched "Make in India" initiative, urging billionaire tycoons, industry moguls and foreign investors to invest in the development of India and turn the country into a manufacturing hub for the world.

With 41 ships and submarines under construction at various public and private shipyards within the country, Dhowan said that plans to craft indigenous submarines were also in the pipeline.

He also said that the navy was monitoring Chinese movement in Indian Ocean and was ready to tackle any untoward situation.

"The Chinese ships remain deployed in Indian Ocean and we continuously monitor them and observe their deployment. Simultaneously, our ships and airplanes also remain ready to face any challenge or untoward situation there," Admiral Dhowan added.

China is building a port less than 200 km from the southern coast, part of a drive to build ports across the Indian Ocean that some have dubbed a strategic "String of Pearls".