Warship Hulls To Electronics: India Pushes For Indigenous Naval Systems

The Miniratna Defence PSU Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has signed a deal with Cyient DLM to set up a joint venture in India to design and manufacture ship electronics, focusing on systems used by Indian Navy warships for navigation, communication, scanning the horizon, and operating as a fleet.

Indian yards have been churning out more warships in recent years, but a lot of the high-tech gear inside those hulls remains imported. This deal is to fill that void with Indian-made equipment.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the partners will work together on navigation and solid-state radars, Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), autopilots, the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), Fleet Broadband and Voyage Data Recorders. Weather reports and helicopter landing aids are also on the list.

But national pride is not the only argument, the companies said. This means more Indian content in HSL's ships and lower dependence on overseas vendors. It could also speed up procurement, bolster domestic supply chains, cut life-cycle costs and optimise maintenance and refit times. And Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and deep-tech firms supplying components for the defence and maritime sectors could get more business.

R Adm C Raghuram (Retd), HSL Chairman and Managing Director, said the deal would bring more homegrown technology to the ships of the yard. Every ship that comes out of our yard comes out with the pride of a country. This MoU will also equip her with Indian intelligence in her radars, Indian precision in her navigational aids, and an Indian voice in her radios. "This is Aatmanirbhar Bharat, moving ahead with determination," he said.

"The partnership will help India build its technology and manufacturing base in the maritime and defence sectors," said Rajendra Velagapudi, Managing Director and CEO of Cyient DLM.

The plan is simple. Then the two companies select the highest priority systems and form teams to design and test them together. Next, the focus shifts to earning naval and classification qualifications. Only then will the equipment be installed on selected platforms, starting with 18 Next Generation Fast Patrol Vessels (NGFPVs).

All of this is part of a larger push by New Delhi to produce more military hardware at home and buy less overseas. India has made great strides in shipbuilding. The work still has to be done on the sensors, the communication gear, and the integrated electronic systems. The deal moves Make in India beyond the hull and into the electronics that allow a ship to do its job at sea.