India builds her warships at home. Starting today, they will think with Indian electronics too. Miniratna DPSU Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) and Cyient DLM have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop and manufacture, in India, the navigation, communication and ship electronics systems that the country’s fleets have largely imported until now. Put simply, the ship’s nervous system goes indigenous.
The MoU was exchanged between Capt. Ganti Venkateswarlu, Director (Shipbuilding), HSL, and Rajendra Velagapudi, Managing Director & CEO, Cyient DLM, at the CII Partnership Summit. Nara Lokesh, Minister for IT, Electronics & Communications, Government of Andhra Pradesh, and Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India, were present.
Scope for indigenisation
The MoU covers navigation and solid-state radars, ECDIS and autopilot; GMDSS, Fleet Broadband and Voyage Data Recorders; and weather systems and helicopter landing aids.
The partnership will bring deeper Indian content to every hull HSL delivers. It will also mean shorter lead times, stronger supply-chain security, lower lifecycle costs and faster refits. For Indian MSMEs and deep-tech innovators, it creates a new demand engine.
The course ahead
The two partners will first prioritise systems and set up joint design and test teams. The systems will then go through Naval and Class qualification, followed by pilot fits on selected platforms, beginning with the 18 Next Generation Fast Patrol Vessels.
R Adm C Raghuram, VSM (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, HSL, said, “Every ship that leaves our yard carries the pride of a nation. With this MoU, she will also carry Indian intelligence in her radars, Indian precision in her navigational aids and an Indian voice in her radios. This is Aatmanirbhar Bharat, sailing at full steam.”
Rajendra Velagapudi, Managing Director & CEO, Cyient DLM, said, “India’s maritime and defence ecosystem presents a significant opportunity, and our partnership with HSL brings together complementary strengths to build the indigenous technology and manufacturing muscle it demands.” One yard. One mission. Indian ships, Indian minds.
