Kozhikode :

Nirdesh (National Institute for Research & Development in Defence Shipbuilding), the autonomous institution set up to boost the indigenisation of country’s warship and submarine construction, at Chaliyam near here, is all set to commence designing of various vessels for the Indian Navy. It would also set up the first centralised shipbuilding database in the country at the institute.

Though the foundation stone for the proposed Rs 600 crore project was laid by then defence minister A K Antony back in 2011, the activities of Nirdesh have so far been limited to conducting training programmes on shipbuilding and taking up some R&D projects.

Nirdesh would start off with preparing standard designs for a range of small vessels used by Navy including patrolling vessels, harbour vessels, tugs, ferries, survey ships, etc. “We have got approval to engage a design expert and two naval architects. In the first phase, we will be working towards preparing a standardised design for vessels which are required in substantial numbers by the Navy . It is highly beneficial to have a standardised design as the vessels will be built by different shipyards. It would help in the operation side as well as for maintenance,” Captain Ramesh Babu, project director of Nirdesh said.

Nirdesh has also got approval to engage a data management expert to set up and maintain the country’s first centralised shipbuilding database.

“The shipyards of the country generate a vast amount of data during shipbuil ding. Nirdesh will take up the task of collecting, compi ling and archiving the data in a data centre so that it can be shared among shipyards and used for process improve ments,” he said, adding tha the appointments would be made on contract basis. The design expert would be from among personnel who have retired from the defence shipyards or the Navy .

According to Nirdesh of ficials, the full-scale infrast ructural works at the Chaliy am facility has been held up due to the procedural delay in getting the Cabinet appro val for the formation of an autonomous society headed by the Union defence minister.

According to sources, the Nirdesh board of governors have approved a Rs 115 crore prioritize phase-1 master plan which would see setting up of the design and training facility. Nirdesh already has around Rs 20 crore corpus fund provided by the defence shipyards at Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa and Visakhapatnam for infrastructure creation.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kozhikode / K R rajeev / TNN / April 04th, 2016