What happened: bhumi pujan at GRSE and YIL with a shipbuilding self-reliance rationale

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India could emerge as a global shipbuilding hub as traditional shipbuilding capacity around the world declines. Singh spoke in Kolkata and virtually presided over bhumi pujan for expansion projects at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and Yantra India Ltd (YIL).

Singh linked the expansion thrust to defence industry self-reliance and strategic autonomy. He also emphasised execution priorities such as quality assurance, timely delivery, and high-quality maintenance and retrofit services.

Background and earlier position: global capacity decline and the case for indigenous capability

Rajnath Singh argued that declining global shipbuilding capacities can create an opportunity for India to scale up shipbuilding and related capabilities. He presented defence industry self-reliance as necessary for strategic autonomy and stated that self-reliance improves battlefield capability. Singh cited Operation Sindoor to illustrate the value of indigenous platforms.

Singh further tied the push to national manufacturing policy language, naming Make in India and the “Make for the World” idea (manufacturing aimed at domestic needs and global markets).

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