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Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) started as a small ship repair yard as early 1884. It has come a long way since then.
The Union Government took over the company in 1960 and placed it under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence.
In the past half- a-century or so, the company under the Defence Ministry has scaled new heights, emerging as premier ship-building company in the country with seven units in and around Kolkata city and one unit at Ranchi.
In 2006, GRSE acquired the Rajabagan Dockyard from Central Inland Water Transport Corporation and turned the ailing unit into a viable shipyard within three years.
The shipyard has the glorious history of constructing dredgers, tugs, offshore and inshore patrol vessels, bulk carriers, fishing trawlers and various types of small and mechanised boats, in addition to warships and rivercraft for Indian Navy, including Coast Guard and other Defence establishments.
No wonder, GRSE was awarded the Mini Ratna Category I status for its excellent performance over the years. In 2007-08, it received the Raksha Mantri Award for innovations.
Export order
GRSE's current order book position would amount to more than Rs 8,000 crore covering the manufacture a wide variety of vessels, mostly for Defence purposes.
Even foreign governments are depending on GRSE as a reliable supplier.
Thus, the shipyard got its first export order from the Mauritius Government for supplying an offshore patrol vessel.
Discussions are in progress with a few other African countries for supplying various types of vessels.
modernisation programme
A massive modernisation programme at an estimated cost of over Rs 500 crore is currently in progress at GRSE.
It will be completed shortly.
On completion, the shipyard will have facilities and the capacity to build larger ships within a much shorter time – in fact, four large ships at a time.
The shipyard is interested in creating an exclusive ship design centre and therefore, looking for suitable partner to team up.
Discussion with the National Institute for Research & Development in Defence Shipbuilding is believed to have made some headway.
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