Performs 1st steel cutting, Urges Team HSL to give their best
India’s Defence Secretary Mr Giridhar Aramane, IAS was recently in the City of Destiny wherein he performed the first steel cutting for the Fleet Support Ships of the Indian Navy to be built at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL).
It was a momentous day for team HSL as it received this mammoth FSS order after a great deal of wait.
Addressing employees directly the defence secretary spoke in flawless Telugu and urged them to give their utmost best in completing this mega order.
This mega order has been given with a lot of trust by the government so I urge you to work hard and with due diligence in getting this order completed on time said the Defence Secretary.
Mr Aramane also pointed out the key role of MSMEs and said that with this order a significant benefit will be derived by MSMEs too.
Emphasising on quality he said that quality should not be compromised and underscored the value of integrity and a corruption free workplace.
Given the current geopolitical scenario Mr Aramane opined that HSL is poised to get more orders and that the overall ship building industry will see a huge upswing in India.
Emphasising HSL’s commitment towards innovation, sustainability, and collaboration and Cmde Hemant Khatri, IN(Retd.) C&MD, said that HSL stands as a testament to India’s Shipbuilding prowess, consistently delivering cutting-edge solutions in shipbuilding, ship repairs and Submarine retrofit.
The Fleet Support Ship under construction at HSL is the first-of-its kind with displacement of 44,000 Tons and will play a crucial role in replenishing Fleet at sea with fuel, water, ammunition, and stores, thereby extending the operational capabilities of the Indian Naval Fleet and enhancing its strategic reach.
The ceremony was duly attended by VAdm Rajesh Pendharkar, AVSM, VSM, FOC-in-C, Mr A Mallikarjuna, IAS, District Collector, Dr Ravi Shankar, IPS, Commisioner of Police, Dr Y Sreenivas Rao, DS & Director General (Naval Science & Material), Mr CM Saikanth Varma, IAS, Commissioner of GVMC, Mr Prudhvi Tej, IAS, Chairman, APEP DCL, Mr KS Viswanathan, IAS, Additional Commissioner GVMC, RAdm Nelson D’souza, NM, CSO (Tech), IG Yoginder Dhaka, TM, and other dignitaries.
The iconic Hindustan shipyard Limited has come a long way since its inception in 1941. Its association with the Indian Navy has grown stronger from having built the first indigenous ship for the Indian Navy way back in 1956 to now building 5 FSS for the Navy.
As per the archives of the shipyard INS Dhruvak was the first Naval ship, a Mooring Vessel which was built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam for the Indian Navy.
The keel was laid on 27 January 1956 and was launched on 16 July 1958.
The vessel, which had a length of 150 feet with a beam of 32 feet and 900 tons of displacement and had been fitted with a steam-reciprocating engine with coal-fired marine boilers, was delivered to the Indian Navy on 16 November 1959.
Fast forward 2024 HSL recently performed the first steel cutting ceremony for the mega FSS project of the Indian Navy awarded to HSL.
The contract for building 5 FSS is worth over Rs 19,000 crores and signals Indian Navy’s resounding trust in the shipyard.
