Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation For Five Brownfield Defence Projects In West Bengal

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday laid the foundation stones for five brownfield expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited (YIL) in West Bengal. The projects, involving a combined investment of more than Rs 3,400 crore, are aimed at expanding defence manufacturing capacity, creating employment and strengthening indigenous production. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar were also present at the event held at GRSE Bhavan in Kolkata.

Three of the projects are being undertaken by GRSE to expand its shipbuilding and repair capabilities. The company has entered into lease agreements with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, for facilities at Kidderpore, Shalimar and Raichak. The expansion is intended to support warship construction and refit activities, along with the construction and repair of small and medium-sized commercial vessels, in line with the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.

The largest project is the development of GRSE's Raichak facility, which will involve an investment of more than Rs 2,500 crore. The site has a 356-metre waterfront, a 96-metre jetty and a draught of 8-10 metres. It will include a 200-metre dry dock, slipway, launching pad, jetties and block fabrication facilities, enabling the construction of warships of up to 200 metres and commercial vessels with a capacity of up to 60,000 deadweight tonnes.

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At Shalimar, GRSE will invest nearly Rs 100 crore to rejuvenate the four-acre Timber Pond facility for medium-sized shipbuilding and repair activities. The plan includes restoring a 130-metre dry dock and constructing a 120-metre slipway. Another project at the Damodar facility at Kidderpore Docks, involving around Rs 70 crore, will support medium-sized vessel repairs and the construction of electric ferries and other small crafts.

The remaining two projects are at YIL's Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore and have a combined investment of more than Rs 750 crore. A Rs 277.59-crore 3,000-tonne Heavy Duty Hydraulic Open Die Forging Press will replace the existing 2,650-tonne press and produce gun barrels, ammunition components and other heavy defence forgings. A Rs 473.84-crore Radial Forging Plant will manufacture super-alloy forgings, aerial bomb tubes, ordnance hardware, railway axles and nuclear reactor components. The facilities will incorporate Industry 4.0 and energy-efficient technologies, with the projects expected to reduce import dependence and support defence, railway and strategic sectors.

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