The Hindu Business Line : `Hindustan Shipyard order position healthy'

TESTING JOURNEY: Sagar Manjusha, a buoy tender-cum-research vessel of the National Institute of Ocean Technology, on the slipway before being launched at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. — C.V. Subrahmanyam

Visakhapatnam , Nov. 3

THE order book position of the Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) is healthy with orders worth Rs 2,000 crore on hand, according to Commodore Y. Janardhan, Director (Technical).

He was speaking at a function in the shipyard on Thursday on the occasion of the launching of Sagar Manjusha, the buoy tender-cum-research vessel, built for the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.

He said HSL was working at full capacity and in spite of the recent rains Sagar Manjusha could be completed on time.

The vessel would be delivered to NIOT in three months. It was the 108th vessel being launched from the slipway, he added.

Ms Shoba Goel, wife of Dr P.S. Goel, Secretary, Department of Ocean Development, launched the vessel.

Dr Goel said the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) might go up by 1.1 million sq. km, and all attempts should be made to make use of the oceanic resources to the full.

He said HSL had the potential and it would have to be used to the full in exploiting the marine resources.

He said the Union Government was contemplating setting up 15 technological missions during the Eleventh Plan period, and he had recommended shipbuilding as one of the thrust areas.

Dr S. Kathiroli, Director (Technical), NIOT, said HSL had done an excellent job in building the vessel, and "all initial doubts, scepticism, were dispelled."

However, he said, HSL should strive to deliver the vessel within two months and not three.

He said a large number of vessels were required to undertake research in the ocean and exploit the resources. More vessels were needed for the effort, he added.

Rear Admiral Ajit Tewari, Chairman and Managing Director of HSL, was also present. Dr Prem Kumar, Programme Officer, NIOT, also participated in the function.

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