Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Thursday urged industry partners to help the country become not only fully self-sufficient (Aatmanirbhar) in defence production but also a net exporter.

He was speaking at the launch of the first indigenously built Pollution Control Vessel, Samudra Pratap, in Goa. The Ship has been built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

The vessel will help check oil spillage along the country’s sea coast. The ship was launched and named ‘Samudra Pratap’ by Neeta Seth, the wife of the Minister of State for Defence, who was the chief guest on the occasion.

The launching ceremony was attended by IG Bhisham Sharma, PTM, TM, COMCG (W), IG HK Sharma, TM, DDG (M&M) and Brajesh Kumar Upadhyaya, Chairman and Managing Director, GSL along with officials from the Ministry of Defence, ICG, Indian Navy and Goa Shipyard Ltd.

Sanjay Seth said the country has become the fifth-largest economy in the world under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is heartening to note that the country has attained Aatmanirbharta in shipbuilding for defence needs and has started building ships for other countries, he added.

Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), a premier Indian DPSU Shipyard, is constructing two Pollution Control Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

The contract, valued at Rs 583 crore, was concluded on 22 June 2021. For the first time, these vessels are being designed and constructed indigenously. With the launch of the state-of-the-art Pollution Control Vessel (Samudra Pratap), the ICG and GSL continue their longstanding partnership and triumphant march towards self-reliance, turning ‘ ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ into a reality.

The ship has been designed and constructed in-house by Goa Shipyard Ltd to meet the specific requirements of the ICG. It has a length of 114.5 metres, a breadth of 16.5 metres, and will displace 4,170 tonnes. The ship will be manned by 14 officers and 115 sailors. The keel-laying ceremony for the ship was held on 21 November 2022.

Since then, the shipyard has made exceptional strides towards achieving this milestone of launching. This advanced Pollution Control Vessel will help the Indian Coast Guard in conducting dedicated oil spill response operations in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and beyond, with specialised equipment for containment, recovery, separation, and dispersal of pollutants. Furthermore, the GSL-built ICG PCV is the first indigenously designed and built hybrid sea-going ship in India.

The project, with indigenous content of more than 60 per cent, has ensured substantial skill development and employment generation for local industry and MSMEs engaged in production activities at various factories and within Goa Shipyard Limited, thus contributing to the nation’s objectives.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Minister of State for Defence appreciated the efforts of the MoD, the ICG, and industry in fulfilling all shipbuilding requirements for the ICG indigenously. Furthermore, congratulating the GSL employees on achieving this critical milestone, he exhorted everyone present to continue marching towards ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence production.

The launch of ‘Samudra Pratap’ is a testament to the nation’s shipbuilding capability and propels Goa Shipyard Limited into the league of Indian shipyards capable of producing state-of-the-art Pollution Control Vessels.