India eyes Russian help to develop warships

India is planning to tie up with Russia for enhancing self reliance in capabilities for design and development of all types of warships, including submarines, for the Navy and the Coast Guard.

The defence ministry is planning to have a tie-up between the Kerala-based National Institute of Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding and Russian Krylov Institute for working in this direction, officials said in New Delhi.

The Russian institute, set up in 1890s, has been working in this field for a very long time and can help NIRDESH to augment its capabilities, they said.

NIRDESH was launched on January 4, 2011 by Defence Minister A K Antony to help in developing a robust defence industrial base by providing technology support and promote ancillary industry participation in the defence shipbuilding sector.

The issue was also discussed at the meeting of the Board of Governors of NIRDESH headed by the defence minister, who is also the chairman of the institute.

The meeting decided to appoint the head of the Naval Design Directorate as the nodal officer to support NIRDESH as the Navy would be the biggest beneficiary out of the output of the institute, they said.

A sub-committee has also been appointed by the ministry to prepare a roadmap for growth of NIRDESH while another would examine and select Research and Development projects to be undertaken by it.

"One project on indigenisation of rubber items used on Scorpene submarines is already progressing at the Rubber Research Institute of India at Kottayam," they said.

NIRDESH will also take up projects related to development of civilian vessels.