While Indian shipyards have accelerated warship construction in recent years, much of the sophisticated electronic hardware inside those vessels remains imported. A new partnership aims to bridge that gap with domestically built systems, NDTV reported.

Miniratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), based in Visakhapatnam, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with aerospace and defence electronics specialist Cyient DLM. The two firms will form a joint venture in India to design and manufacture advanced naval ship electronics.

Their collaboration focuses on critical equipment used by Indian Navy warships for navigation, communication, horizon scanning, and coordinated fleet operations. Under the agreement, the partners will jointly develop navigation and solid-state radars, Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), autopilots, the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), Fleet Broadband, and Voyage Data Recorders, alongside weather reporting gear and helicopter landing aids.

Beyond national pride, the companies emphasised practical operational benefits. Integrating more domestic content into HSL vessels will curb reliance on overseas suppliers, accelerate procurement timelines, strengthen local supply chains, reduce life-cycle expenses, and streamline maintenance and refit schedules.

The initiative is also expected to generate fresh demand for Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and deep-tech start-ups supplying maritime and defence components.

HSL Chairman and Managing Director R Adm C Raghuram (Retd) noted that every vessel leaving the yard carries the pride of the nation, and this pact ensures those ships also feature homegrown capabilities. "This MoU will also equip her with Indian intelligence in her radars, Indian precision in her navigational aids, and an Indian voice in her radios. This is Aatmanirbhar Bharat, moving ahead with determination," he stated.

Rajendra Velagapudi, Managing Director and CEO of Cyient DLM, added that the alliance will help India expand its technological and manufacturing base across the maritime and defence sectors.

The rollout follows a clear roadmap. Both organisations will first select top-priority systems and assemble joint teams for design and testing. Once the hardware secures necessary naval and classification society qualifications, pilot installations will begin on selected vessels, starting with 18 Next Generation Fast Patrol Vessels (NGFPVs) from HSL's Rs 3,000-crore order book.

Ultimately, this initiative reinforces New Delhi's broader self-reliance program to manufacture military hardware locally and curtail foreign imports.

Although India has achieved substantial progress in hull fabrication, mastering onboard sensors, communication suites, and integrated electronics remains essential—shifting Make in India from the outer shell into the digital core of modern warships.

Agencies