Visakhapatnam is set to host a significant boost to India's naval manufacturing ambitions as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visits Hindustan Shipyard Limited on 5 and 6 October for a series of high-profile maritime events.

The centrepiece of the program at HSL will be the launch of a Fleet Support Ship for the Indian Navy and the keel-laying of Fleet Support Ship-5, both of which form part of the Navy's indigenous replenishment vessel program designed to improve operational endurance across the Indian Ocean and beyond.

Rajnath Singh will also dedicate the upgraded Slipway-4 and a newly installed 300T Goliath Crane to the nation. These modern facilities are expected to substantially increase HSL's heavy-lift and shipbuilding capabilities, enabling the yard to handle larger and more technologically advanced vessels.

The visit reflects the growing strategic importance of HSL, which has emerged as a key contributor to India's defence-industrial ecosystem. The infrastructure modernisation is viewed as a crucial step towards expanding domestic shipbuilding capacity and supporting future naval requirements.

The Defence Minister's itinerary begins in Ayodhya, where he will inaugurate the Shri Narayan Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya building at Udasin Sangat Rishi Ashram before travelling to Visakhapatnam. Upon arrival, he is scheduled to attend an interaction session at the Naval Dockyard at 7 pm and later participate in a 'badakhana'.

After concluding engagements in Visakhapatnam, he will proceed to HAL's Sunabeda facility in Koraput district, Odisha, to lay the foundation stone for the upcoming Shakti Engine facilities, another key initiative aimed at strengthening India's indigenous aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities.

With both naval and aerospace projects featuring prominently in the visit, the program highlights the government's continued emphasis on building advanced domestic defence infrastructure and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.

Agencies