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India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
India partners with Norway to build first indigenous polar research vessel. Key details
India is set to construct its first indigenous Polar Research Vessel (PRV) following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Norway's Kongsberg Oslo. The agreement, formalised in Oslo in the presence of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, marks a significant advancement in India's maritime and scientific PRV will be equipped with state-of-the-art scientific instruments, enabling researchers to delve into oceanic depths and study marine ecosystems. This initiative aligns with India's commitment to scientific progress and sustainable development, providing invaluable insights into the planet's environmental India's polar research missions have relied on chartered vessels from the international market. The acquisition of an indigenous PRV will reduce this dependency, granting India greater autonomy in its polar explorations. The vessel is expected to play a crucial role in supporting India's research bases in Antarctica and the Arctic, facilitating continuous access essential for climate change studies and other scientific endeavors. The collaboration with Kongsberg Oslo underscores the importance of international partnerships in achieving complex technological feats. By integrating global expertise with domestic capabilities, India aims to bolster its maritime infrastructure and scientific research. This initiative is a testament to India's strategic vision of becoming self-reliant in critical technologies while fostering global construction of the PRV is anticipated to be completed within the next five years, with an estimated cost of 2,600 crore. This investment reflects India's dedication to enhancing its research infrastructure and expanding its presence in polar addition to supporting polar research, the PRV will serve as a versatile platform for oceanographic studies, including research in the Southern Ocean. This multifunctional capability will enable Indian scientists to undertake comprehensive studies of marine environments, contributing to a deeper understanding of global climate systems and marine initiative also aligns with India's broader maritime objectives, as articulated by Minister Sonowal during discussions at Nor Shipping 2025 in Norway. He emphasized India's vision of 'MAHASAGAR,' aiming for inclusive growth and international collaboration in the maritime summary, the construction of India's first indigenous Polar Research Vessel represents a significant milestone in the nation's scientific and maritime endeavors. By reducing reliance on foreign vessels and enhancing research capabilities, India is poised to make substantial contributions to polar science and oceanography, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development and international InMust Watch
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Inviting global domain experts to achieve India's Maritime Vision 2047 goals: Sarbananda Sonowal
India is partnering with global experts to realize its Maritime Vision 2047. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is leading discussions at Nor Shipping 2025 in Norway. A key agreement involves building India's first Polar Research Vessel with Norwegian collaboration. India aims to significantly increase its port capacity and inland waterway cargo volume. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India is bringing domain expertise from leading nations to ensure maritime vision 2047 goals are met according to Union Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal . The Minister is currently leading the Indian delegation at Nor Shipping 2025 in Norway. An official statement said India will be building its first-ever Polar Research Vessel (PRV) after Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) signed an agreement with Norway's Kongsberg.'Discussions have been held with countries that have expertise in maritime infrastructure development. Partnerships will be forged in line with 2047 goals,' Sonowal told ET over the phone from Oslo.'Global best practices will be incorporated in domestic maritime operations,' he aims to ramp up cargo handling capacity of its ports fourfold to 10,000 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2047. Among other goals, the Maritime India Vision 2047 aims for a 400% increase of inland waterway cargo volume to reach 500 MTPA by the cutoff year. Efforts are also expected towards scaling up the domestic shipbuilding industry where India currently has less than 1% of global part of the agreement between GRSE and Kongsberg, the domestic shipbuilding sector is expected to receive design expertise for developing the PRV.'This will meet the requirement of India's National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR) that will use it for research activities in the polar and Southern Ocean realms,' the statement said while adding this research vessel will be built in GRSE's Kolkata the conference, Sonowal invited Norwegian shipowners to invest in India. He noted that Indian shipyards currently hold 11% of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association (NSA)'s order book.'We invite greater collaboration with Norway to build a green, smart, and resilient maritime ecosystem,' he said while adding this partnership is reflected in Indian shipyards delivering vessels to Norwegian firms. The Minister also sought Norway's cooperation in green shipping corridors , ship recycling, and International Maritime Organisation (IMO)-aligned net-zero goals.
