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India will soon build ships for the world: Rajnath Singh after commissioning INS Visakhapatnam
The defence minister said that India now has “full opportunity” to make complete use of its capabilities and move towards making the nation “an indigenous shipbuilding hub.”
Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday there’s “no doubt” that India will be building ships “not only for our own needs but also the needs of all over the world” as he commissioned INS Visakhapatnam into the Indian Navy.
He added that the system features of INS Visakhapatnam are not only going to meet the needs of today but also that of the of the future. “Its commissioning reminds us of our ancient, medieval India's maritime power, shipbuilding skills and glorious history,” Singh added.
During his address to the gathering after the commissioning at the naval dockyard in Mumbai, Singh said that India envisions an Indo-Pacific region that is based on rules, has freedom of navigation, and universal rules, “in which the interest of all the participating countries are protected.”
Singh noted that India being an important nation in the “security” of the Indo-Pacific region, the role of the Indian Navy “becomes more important.”
Citing reports that by 2023, the expenditure on security around the globe will reach $2.1 trillion, the defence minister said that India now has the “full opportunity” to make complete use of its “capabilities” and move towards making the nation “an indigenous shipbuilding hub.”
Singh hailed the Indian Navy's “consistent efforts” to take part in several outreach programmes of industries and increase indigenised items under ‘float’, ‘move’ and ‘fight’ categories. “It is important for us to maintain the momentum of the success we have achieved so far,” the defence minister added during his address.
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With the help of Make in India initiatives, he pointed out, the Indian Navy has provided 76 per cent Air Operations Net (AON), and 66 per cent cost-basis contracts to the country's vendors in 2014. Furthermore, indigenisation of about 90 per cent of Naval Ammunition has also happened.
The INS Visakhapatnam, one of the four stealth guided-missile destroyer ships under Project 15B, has been indigenously manufactured by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and the government has said that it will add significant strength to its Make in India endeavour.
