Exclusive: Besides IAC Vikrant, more big-ticket orders with Cochin Shipyard

The Cochin Shipyard Limited, which constructed the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant that is set for commissioning on September 2, has been busy. The shipyard has been receiving orders worth crores of Rupees and some next-generation projects that will see it pushing the frontiers technologically. 

Taking part in Asianet News Network's special series titled 'Samvad', Cochin Shipyard Limited Chairman and Managing Director Madhu S Nair said: "Today we have, from the navy, an order for eight Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) corvettes worth around Rs 6500 crore. We are due to sign contracts for six next-generation missile vessels worth about Rs 10,000 crores. There are other orders as well." 

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"From Europe, we have picked up eight vessels from Germany. That is a major break for us. These are small mid-size coastal vessels. But we have entered a niche segment in Germany, which people cannot enter. These are all clanish businesses, but it's probably the trust that our friends in Europe, who have taken vessels from us, have. CSL has delivered more than 45 ships in Western Europe. Those ships are doing the talking for us," he added.

Expressing confidence that the shipyard is future-ready, Nair said that CSL is ready for a fight in the open (shipbuilding) market.

"As a knowledge company, we will be agile to catch the emerging trends in the world. The near five to ten years, we are seeing significant traction coming on green shipping, advanced technologies and autonomy in various forms like unmanned ships. People would ask, do we need unmanned ships? My answer is we may need unmanned ships not because we want to replace the human being there, but purely from the functional point. Certain things that the human being cannot do, the machine will do better. Recently, we delivered our first two autonomous vessels to Norway. They are using them because they have a shortage of people. But for us, it could be from a functional aspect," he said.

Watch the full episode of Asianet News Samvad below:

Also Read: Asianet News Samvad: 'Aircraft carrier Vikrant was originally meant to be Air Defence Ship'

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