Pressure is mounting on the Centre to revive the National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding (Nirdesh) at Chaliyam here following the increased allocation for defence in the interim budget.
Sources said a new report was pending before the Union Cabinet to expand the activities of Nirdesh, an autonomous body under the Department of Defence Production. Former Defence Minister A.K. Antony had laid the foundation stone for the ₹600-crore project on a 40-acre site acquired by the government in January 2011. All these years, Nirdesh, with its skeleton staff, has been unable to serve its purpose of augmenting India’s domestic defence production capabilities by designing warships and submarines. Mostly training programmes are now offered at the facility. The Union Finance Ministry had earlier rejected a ₹200-crore package for Nirdesh.
Nirdesh, sources said, now pinned its hopes of securing funds from the capital outlay of the defence budget earmarked for multiple purposes. Out of the total allocation of ₹3.18 lakh crore in the Union Budget, ₹1,08,248 crore has been primarily set aside to purchase new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware.
Proposals to design small vessels for the Navy and harbour vessels, tugs, ferries and survey ships are still on paper. Nirdesh has plans to set up design software, engage experts in naval architecture and shipping building, the sources said.
Nothing positive has so far emerged though Nirdesh has been collaborating with the Indian Naval Academy and senior members of the Indian Navy. Currently Nirdesh manages with the contributions sourced from Mazagon Dock Limited, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Goa Shipyard Limited, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited.