Indian Coast Guard was formally inaugurated on 18 August 1978 as an independent armed force of the union with the enactment of the Coast Guard Act 1978 by the Parliament. However an interim Coast Guard Organization came into being on 01 February 1977. The motto of Indian Coast Guard is `VAYAM RAKSHAMAH -which means `WE PROTECT’.

Indian Coast Guard celebrated 35th anniversary on 01 February 2012. The press release issued by Ministry of Defence on this occasion is reproduced below.

The Coast Guard in its present shape was The Indian Coast Guard – ‘Focused on Maritime Safety and Security’

The Indian Coast Guard is celebrating its 35th anniversary tomorrow. Since its inception, the service has grown into a multi-faceted and vibrant force, maintaining ‘round the clock’ vigil in the Maritime Zones of India, by deploying its multi-role ships and aircraft.

Beginning with a modest inventory of two ex-naval frigates, the service today boasts of a force-level of 68 ships and 52 aircraft. During the past year, one ship, four interceptor boats, four Dornier aircraft and two Chetak helicopters have been commissioned into service, in addition to the establishment of six CG Stations and two Air Enclaves.

The Indian Coast Guard today, is on a path of rapid expansion, as a large number of state-of-art ships, boats and aircraft are under-construction at various shipyards/PSUs. The service is expected to attain a force-level of 77 surface platforms and 56 aircraft by end 2012. The Coast Guard will also have 42 CG Stations, four Air Stations and 11 Air Enclaves functioning all along the coast, by the end of 2012.

On the manpower front, the service has initiated several measures to augment its manpower viz. introduction of short service appointment for women officers and CPL holders, increase in number of recruitment centres, departmental promotions of outstanding Subordinate Officers and conduct of special recruitment drives.

As far as CG operations are concerned, an average of 18 ships and five aircraft are tasked daily, to keep the vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and coastline under constant surveillance. Further, the establishment of Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) is being progressed to boost the surveillance capabilities along the coastline. 46 CSN Stations are being set-up under Phase-I of the project.

Coastal Security has been on the fore-front of CG operations for the past few years. Today, Coast Guard stations and coastal marine police stations are functioning as ‘Hub and Spoke’ for information outflow. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for coastal security of all the coastal States / Union Territories have been promulgated by the Indian Coast Guard. Synergy amongst various stake-holders is achieved by conduct of regular exercises and operations, and subsequent review of the SOPs. 17 such exercises and 19 operations have been conducted during the last one year.

The service has also formed a bond with fishermen, by conducting regular community interaction programmes, so that they act as ‘eyes and ears’ for coastal security. About 400 such community interaction programs have been conducted since Jan 2011. Provisioning of biometric identity cards for fishermen and uniform registration of fishing boats for precise identification at sea, is under progress.

Search and Rescue operations within the Indian Search and Rescue Region are undertaken by the Indian Coast Guard. Professional and dedicated efforts of the service have resulted in saving of 415 lives last year. A Search and Rescue exercise was also conducted off Mumbai on 14 Jan 12, in which international observers from seven countries participated.

The Indian Coast Guard has carved a niche for itself at the international level and is today recognised as a leading Coast Guard in the region. Institutionalized visits as per Memorandum of Cooperation/Understanding with Japan Coast Guard and Korea Coast Guard are being conducted regularly. On 29 Jan 12, a combined Indo-Japan Coast Guard exercise was conducted off Chennai. The Indian Coast Guard, also hosted a Capacity Building Workshop with ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia) in Nov last year, at Goa. In addition, a bi-annual Joint exercise ‘Dosti’ is also conducted with the Maldives National Defence Force.

The Indian Coast Guard has evolved into a mature and highly capable maritime force with state-of-the-art ships, boats and aircraft. The theme of the Indian Coast Guard for the year 2012 is ‘Focused on Maritime Safety and Security’, which aptly reflects the commitment and resolve of the service, and is in tune with its motto ‘Vayam Rakshamah’ meaning ‘We Protect’.

HH/NN
(Release ID :79986)

Update:

Here are some photographs on Coast Guard Day celebrations from Press Information Bureau.

The Defence Minister, Shri A. K. Antony attended the Coast Guard Day celebrations at Coast Guard Headquarters in New Delhi on 01 February 2012. The Director General, Indian Coast Guard, Vice Admiral MP Muralidharan is also seen.

Indian Coast Guard decommissioned Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) ICGS Ranijindan, ICGS Habbah Khatun and ICGS Avvaiyyar at Chennai on 06 January 2012. ICGS Ramadevi and ICGS Chandbibi were also decommissioned at Visakhapatnam on 19 January 2012. ICGS Jijabai and ICGS Kittur Chennamma were decommissioned on 27 June 2011. All these IPVs have completed more than 25 years of service.

The old IPVs already phased out/being phased out are: Jijabai (64), Chandbibi (65), Kittur Chennamma (66), Ranijindan (67), Habbah Khatun (68), Ramadevi (69), Avvaiyar (70), Tarabai (71), Ahalyabai (72), Lakshmi Bai (73), Naiki Devi (74), Ganga Devi (75), Akka Devi (76).

Now new IPVs for Indian Coast Guard are being built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam. The construction details are:

• Phase 1: Five vessels with contractual delivery period as March 2008 to March 2009 (now revised as August 2011 to July 2012).
  • Yard No 1154: Launched on 28 May 2009 and now commissioned on 20 January 2012 as Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Rani Abbakka (77). The ship is named after ‘Abbakka Mahadevi’ the queen of Tulunadu of Karnataka who fought the Portuguese in the 16th century. She is considered as the ‘First Woman Freedom Fighter of India’. ICGS Rani Abbakka is based at Chennai under Administrative and Operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (East).
  • Yard No 1155: Launched on 04 November 2009.
  • Yard No 1156: Launched on 15 May 2010 and named as ‘Rani Durgavati’ (79).
  • Yard No 1157: Launched on 06 November 2010 and named as ‘Rani Gaidinliu’.
  • Yard No 1158: Launched on 15 July 2011 and named as ‘Rani Rashmoni’.
• Phase 2: Eight more IPVs are also going to be built by HSL (Yard No 11165 to 11172) with contractual delivery period as August 2013 to May 2015.

The Rani Abbaka class, 50 M, 275 tons IPVs 

• are designed and built indigenously by M/s HSL.
• are built with light steel hull and have water jet propulsion system.
• are 51.5 metres long, 8.36 metres wide and have a draught of 4.55 metres.
• have most advanced navigational and communication sensors and equipment with Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS) and an indigenously built Gun Mount with Fire Control System.
• have economical speed of 14 Knots, maximum speed of 31.5 knots with an endurance of 1500 nautical miles.
• are designed to carry one Rigid Inflatable Boat and two Geminis for Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement and Maritime Patrol.

Above ICGS Rani Abbakka photographs are from Indian Coast Guard website.

Here is the reproduction of Year End Review 2011 of Shipping released by the Ministry of Shipping, India (Released through Press Information Bureau, Release ID: 79210 dated 26 December 2011).

Maritime Agenda 2010-20 Launched
Fund Requirement for Shipping Sector Projected Rs. 90,519 Crore in 12th Plan
India Sri Lanka Ferry Service Launched
Government Identifies 23 Projects to Increase Ports Capacity by 236.63 MTPA

Year End Review

1. Maritime Agenda for the decade 2010-2020:

The Ministry of Shipping has launched Maritime Agenda 2010-20 in January, 2011. The Agenda is a perspective plan of the Ministry for this decade and gives a visit and road map for comprehensive development of the maritime sector. The overall vision of the Ministry as per the Maritime agenda aims towards navigating and steering the Indian Maritime sector realistically into the premier maritime nations of the world. This document basically presents an agenda in the Shipping Sector for consideration within overall objective to increase efficiency of the delivery system and overall pace of growth in the sector. Indeed, this is a path breaking document which will serve as road map for all ports (major as well as non-major ports) and the shipping sector during the decade 2010-2020

2. 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017):

The Planning Commission constituted a Working Group on Shipping & Inland Water Transport for the formulation of Twelfth Five Year Plan 2012-17 under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Shipping). The Working Group in its report submitted to the Planning Commission has recommended the fund requirement of Rs.90,519 crores for the Shipping sector which includes Rs.10,499.00 crores as GBS, Rs.2340.00 crores State Govt. Funding and Rs. 77,680 as private investment/IEBR as per details given below:

(Rs. In crores)

Sr. No.	Major Head of Expenditure	GBS	State Govts.	Private Investment/ IEBR	Total
1	Ship Acquisition	-	-	60,000	60,000
2	Restructuring of the Regulatory Regime	546	-	-	546
3	DG (Shipping)	150	-	-	150
4	IMU	1,280	-	-	1,280
5	Training & Welfare	828	-	-	828
6	Seafarers Safety	30	-	-	30
7	Coastal Shipping	2,835	1,200	12,360	16,395
8	Multimodal Transport	-	-	-	-
9	Lighthouses & Lightships	790	-	-	790
10	IWT	4,040	1,140	5,320	10,500
	Total	10,499	2,340	77,680	90,519

3. Shipping Corporation of India:

The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. (SCI), a Navratna company is the largest shipping company in India, owns a fleet of 81 vessels of 33 lakhs gross tonnage (GT) i.e. 58 lakhs DWT with a share of nearly 1/3rd of the total Indian tonnage. During the 11th Plan SCI proposed to acquire 62 vessels at a cost of approximately Rs.13,000 crores out of which they have taken delivery of 26 vessels so far. Out of the 62 vessels proposed for acquisition during the 11th Plan, they have placed orders for construction of 36 vessels with different shipyards and have acquired 3 Resale vessels. Except for the last two years (i.e. 2009-10 and 2010-11) when SCI’s profit was affected due to the global economic crisis, the SCI has been making profit of over Rs.800 crores for each of the previous 5 years i.e. from 2004-05 to 2008-09. SCI declared a profit of Rs.567.35 crores for the year (2010-11) ended March, 2011 and declared a final dividend of 25% on the paid up share capital in addition to the interim dividend of 30% paid during financial year 2010-11.

4. Cochin Shipyard Limited:

Year at a Glance:

2011-12 (April- November, 2011)

Delivered 3 Platform Supply Vessels.

Launched 2 Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels for Shipping Corporation of India on 19th July 2011.

500 T SWL Bollard Pull Testing Facility set up by Cochin Shipyard at Vizhinjam was dedicated to the Nation on 23 September 2011.

Financial Performance of CSL:

Cochin Shipyard continued its stellar performance for the fifth year in a row. The turnover for the year 2010-11 was Rs.1461.72 Crores as compared to Rs.1416.92 Crores in the last year. The net profit for the year 2010-11 was Rs.227.53 Crores as compared to Rs.223.04 Crores for the last year. This performance is creditable especially in the light of the withdrawal of government subsidy to shipbuilding since August 2007.

5. Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC):

The principal activity of the Corporation is transportation of cargo by barges through Inland Waterways in the country and through the routes identified in the Protocol on Inland Water Transport between India and Bangladesh.

The Corporation also operates and maintains the biggest IWT terminals in the country i.e. T. T. Sheds at Kolkata apart from the terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur in Assam.

6. Major Achievements of CIWTC During The Year 2011 – 12:

During this year, agreements with regard to 11 (eleven) vessels of the Corporation for Bare Boat charter hire for 5 (five) years (+ extendable by 5 years) period have been signed. One number Oil Tanker – M.T. Naharkatia put on bare boat charter and the agreement would be signed shortly.

7. Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships:

Following schemes in the financial year 2011-2012 are under implementation:-

Establishment of Vessel Traffic Service in Gulf of Kachchh at a cost of Rs. 165 Crore. Establishment of National AIS Network (Rs.75.20 crore).

Automation of Lighthouses in Cochin, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam & Kolkata Lh Distt. (Rs.30.45 Crore).

Automation of Lighthouses in Port Blair Lighthouse district.

(Rs.6.52 crore).

Establishment of new Lighthouses at Chilka (Orissa Coast),

Rava (Andhra Coast), Barua (Andhra Coast), Maipura

(Orissa Coast), Markanam.

Establishment of five lighted beacons in A&N Islands.

Presently Directorate General holds inventory of 185 General Lighthouses, 1 Lightship, 23 Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), 64 Radar Beacons (Racons), 21 Deep Sea Lighted Buoys & 2 Wreck Marking Buoys.

8. Inland Water Transport:

The development and maintenance of National waterways (NWs)1,2, & 3 (the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and the West Coast Canal) by providing/ upgrading/ maintaining Inland Water Transport (IWT) infrastructure namely fairway, navigational aids and terminals were continued by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).

An important highlight of 2011-12 was selection of a private agency for developing infrastructure and transportation of 3 million tonne per year of imported coal from Sagar/ Sandheads to Farakka power plant of NTPC Ltd through inland waterways for a period of 7 years and signing of Tripartite Agreement among IWAI, NTPC Ltd and Jindal ITF Ltd in August 2011 thereof. Success of this project may pave way for many other such projects which could revive the IWT sector on Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.

Another significant activity was transportation of project cargo by inland waterways (through Bangladesh) for ONGC’s Palatana powerplant in Tripura which became possible due to declaration of Ashuganj as a new port of call under Indo-Bangladesh Protocol on inland water transit trade.

The proposal to use an alternative route bypassing Core Area of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve. This route has been made operational w.e.f 1st June, 2011, within a short span of 5 months. Besides helping in the preservation of the flora and fauna of the unique biosphere reserve of the Sunderbans, it will prevent poaching; illegal infiltration and facilitate enhanced vigil on Indo-Bangladesh border by Border Security Force.

Ro-Ro terminals at Wilingdon island and Bolghatty in Cochin Port Trust area to provide connectivity between NW-3 and International Container Transhipment Terminal, Vallarpadam commissioned in February, 2011. On an average, about 250 containers (TEUs) are being moved per day through this facility

In order to ensure safety of navigation in NW-1 & NW-2, DGPS stations are already established in Bhagalpur in NW-1 and Jogighopa in NW-2. New stations are being commissioned at Swaroopganj and Patna in NW-1 and Silghat and Dibrugarh in NW-2 shortly.

Under Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar, construction of Sittwe port is in progress through an Indian contractor (M/s Essar Projects (I) Pvt Ltd). The IWT and Port components are targeted to be completed by June, 2013.

9. India Sri Lanka Ferry Service:

Pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Sri Lanka on 07 Janaury, 2011 in Colombo for commencement of passenger transportation by sea between the two countries, passenger ferry service between Tuticorin and Colombo has been started w.e.f. 13.06.2011.

10. Port Sector:

Government has identified 23 projects for award during to increase the capacity of ports by 236.63 MTPA (Million Tons per annum) with an estimated investment of Rs. 16,743.92 Crores under PPP mode.

A project for development of 4th Container Terminal on BOT basis was awarded to M/s PSA Mumbai Investment Pvt. Ltd. on 26th September, 2011.

A draft report of Working Group for Port Sector for the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17) was sent to the Planning Commission on 3rd November, 2011 for consideration and approval.

Regarding Rail-road connectivity to Ports: The work of 18.3 Kms four-lane Elevated Expressway from Chennai Por4t to Maduravoyal on National Highway 4 is in progress. The work of Chennai-Ennore Port Road Connectivity of 29.3 Kms has been started in June, 2011. The work of 4-laning of Tuticorin-Madurai Road (NH-45B) with road length of 144 Kms has been completed. The 2-lane Port Connectivity to ICTT, Vallarpadam, Cochin has been completed and work of 4-lane connectivity is on near completion.

The work of Haridaspur-Paradip new railway line is in progress and likely to be completed by march, 2015. For Mormugao Port, doubling of Hospect-Vsasco Section rail-line, work is likely to be started.

11. India Maritime 2012:

In line with the fast pace development of Indian maritime sector and further developments required by Indian Ports for handling future cargo traffic, the Ministry of Shipping and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry(FICCI) jointly propose to conduct a mega event for the first time in the port sector titled “India Maritime-2012” during 17-20 October, 2012 at Goa. This event will provide a platform to shipping lines and organizations involved in the port infrastructure and management, cargo handling, ship builders and manufacturers, ancillary suppliers and other related service providers to showcase their capabilities.

12. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for Major Ports:

Taking into account the economic, social and environmental impact of activities of the Major Ports on the society and the environment, 12 major ports in the country have been directed to create a mandatory CSR budget setting apart a certain part of their net profit every year towards activities mentioned in possible areas as at Annexure.

13. Multi User Liquid Terminal (MULT) project at Cochin Port Trust:

The Cochin Port Trust handles general, dry bulk cargo, fertilizers and oil cargo. The Ernakulam Wharf have 5 berths(Q5,Q6,Q7,Q8 & Q9) handling general and dry bulk cargo, Q10 handles fertilizers and three oil berths viz. Cochin Oil Terminal(COT), Non Tanker Berth(NTB) and South Tanker Berth(STB). Crude oil is being handled at the Single Point Mooring (SPM) facility provided by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.(BPCL)-Kochi Refineries(KR) and at Cochin Oil Terminal(COT). Petroleum Oil and Lubricants(POL) products are presently handled at COT Non Tanker Berth(NTB) and South Tanker Berth(STB). To avail deep water facilities, the Port is presently developing new facilities at Vallarpadam and Puthuvypeen area which have been declared as Port based Special Economic Zones(SEZ). The facilities which are recently developed/being developed include i) development of International Container Transshipment Terminal(ICTT) at Vallarpadam SEZ, (ii) development of Tank Farms at Puthuvypeen SEZ area for storage of crude oil received at the SPM and (iii) development of captive Liquefied Natural Gas Port and Regasification Terminal by M/s Petronet LNG Limited. In order to cater to these developmental plans, a Multi User Liquid Terminal(MULT) project at Cochin Port is under consideration.

Annexure

POSSIBLE AREAS OF ACTIVITIES UNDER CSR

(THE LIST IS INDICATIVE AND NOT EXHAUSTIVE)

(i) Drinking Water Facility.

(ii) Education.

(iii) Electricity Facility.

(iv) Solar Lighting System.

(v) Health and Family Welfare.

(vi) Irrigation Facilities.

(vii) Sanitation and Public Health.

(viii) Pollution Control Measures.

(ix) Animal Care.

(x) Promotion of Sports and Games including promotion of marinas.

(xi) Promotion of Art and Culture.

Environment Friendly technologies

Promotion of livelihood for economically weaker sections through forward and backward linkages.

Relief to victims of Natural Calamities like earthquake, cyclone, drought & flood situation in any part of the country.

Supplementing Development Programmes of the Government.

Non-conventional energy sources.

Construction of Community Centres/Night Shelters/Old Age Homes.

Imparting Vocational Training.

Setting up of skill development centres.

Adoption of Villages.

Taking action on points suggested by Ministry of Forest and Environment pertaining to Charter of Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection for 17 categories of Industries.

Scholarships to meritorious students belonging to SC, ST, OBC and disabled categories.

Adoption/Construction of Hostels (especially those for SC/ST and girls).

Skill training, entrepreneurship development and placement assistance programmes for youth.

Building of Roads, Pathways and Bridges.

Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP).

Disaster Management Activities including those related to amelioration/mitigation.

Activities related to the preservation of Environment/Ecology and to sustainable Development.

MG/AS

(Release ID :79210)

Russian K-84 Yekaterinburg Nuclear Submarine in Dry Dock caught fire during repairs at a shipyard in the northwest Russian Murmansk Region on 29 December 2011. Fire was successfully contained without any loss of life and without any radiation leak. The K-84 Yekaterinburg nuclear submarine is one of seven Delta-IV class submarines, deployed in the Northern Fleet.

It is reported that wooden scaffolding around the submarine caught fire during repairs. As the anechoic rubber coating (a stealth feature to absorb sound from sonars) on the outer hull of the Yekaterinburg Delta-class nuclear submarine can also burn in dry environment, it must have taken considerable time to contain fire.

Read more

• from RIA Novosti: Russian nuclear sub fire put out.
• from RUS Navy: about Russian K-84 Yekaterinburg Nuclear Submarine.

Chennai is getting ready to face the very severe cyclonic storm ‘THANE’. Last year Chennai faced a similar severe cyclonic storm ‘Jal’ in November 2010.

Cyclonic storm ‘Thane’ formed over southwest Bay of Bengal has moved west-southwestward and lay centered near latitude 12.0⁰N and longitude 82.5⁰E, at 0830 hrs IST on 29 December 2011. The cyclone is about 270 km east of Puducherry, 250 km east-southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

The cyclonic storm ‘Thane’ is likely to move westwards and cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Chennai, around early morning of 30 December 2011.

Maximum impact of the cyclonic storm is expected to be felt near Puducherry.

Updates on cyclonic storm can be found out from Android mobile smartphone also, by installing free ‘Weather Underground’ application.

For more details, log on to

• Cyclone Warning For Indian Coast by IMD (India Meteorological Department)
• Weather Underground

Update: 30 December 2011

As predicted, Cyclone Thane caused extensive damage to Puducherry.

Read more from The Times of India: Cyclone Thane makes landfall between Cuddalore and Puducherry, devastates area

Here is the weather map from Weather Underground

National Maritime Foundation (NMF), Chennai Chapter in association with the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Madras (UNOM) and the Observers Research Foundation (ORF), Chennai Chapter conducted a Round Table discussion on “National Objectives – STRategic Imperatives of the Far East (NO STRIFE) at Chennai on December 09, 2011. Round Table discussions commenced at 1015 hours and concluded at 1315 hours.

Presently, China is the only Asian power to have a permanent seat in the UNSC (United Nations Security Council). India has bright chances to become a permanent member in UNSC. If India has to be a global player, India has to look towards ‘East’ also. India has to maintain friendly relations and remain as a trusted partner of the East Asian countries. Cooperation is needed in Political, Security, Economic, Socio-Cultural areas.

Here are some important East, South East, Far East nations for India: China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, (North) Korea, (South) Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

Asian and South Asian countries have their own associations. The associations and Indian links with these associations are

• ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations – founded in 1967) member states: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam. India became a dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992. Regular ASEAN-India Summits are being held annually from 2002.
• ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum – established in 1994): Participants in the ARF are – Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, United States, and Vietnam.
• SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation – founded in 1985) member states: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
• BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation – founded in 1997): BIMSTEC is a link between ASEAN and SARRC. The member nations are – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• EAS (East Asia Summit) – First summit was held in 2005. Members are: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United States and Vietnam.

In addition, India has Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

India’s ‘Look East Policy’ came into existence in early 1990s. This policy needs to be fine tuned. NMF believes that while land borders divide the nations, oceans provide seamless connectivity to the nations. Hence, this ‘NO STRIFE’ Round Table discussions are significant.

Some interesting features of this Round Table discussion are:

• Context setting: by Commodore S Shekhar, Regional Director, Chennai Chapter, NMF.
• Opening Address: by Dr Gopalji Malviya, Head of Department, Defence and Strategic Studies, UNOM. 
• Inaugural Address: by Inspector General S P Sharma, Commander Coast Guard Region (East).
• Presentations by
  • Mr Ajit Singh, Consul General of Singapore.
  • Mr Matt Beh, Political Consul, US Consulate.
  • Mr N Sathiya Moorthy, Director, ORF.
  • Dr Utham Kumar Jamadagni, Defence and Strategic Studies, UNOM.
• The presentations were followed by Open House discussions.

I. Commodore S Shekhar of NMF

a. He set the context for the discussions as

• India’s positioning in the world stage.
• India’s expectations/possible sectors of interest: strategic, diplomatic, economic, technological, knowledge management.
• The ‘Far East’ in India’s calculus.
• The interests of other ‘stake holders’.
• The ‘NO STRIFE’ Road Map.

b. He expected from the discussions

• Clear understanding of issues involved.
• Identifying areas of potential ‘conflict’.
• Possible solutions for evolving a ‘No Strife’ approach.
• Road Map for implementing the possible solutions.

c. He also briefed about ‘Conflict’

• Conflict is a chain reaction of: Agreement – Difference – Disagreement – Violent Disagreement – Open Hostilities.
• Conflict arises from disagreements due to inconsistent: objectives, thoughts or emotions. 
• Conflict is within or among individuals, teams, departments, organisations, society at large, nations.
• Conflict can be one of value, attitude, behaviour, resource.
• Conflict exists when someone does not get what he expects or when he gets what he does not expect.
• Resolving conflict
  • Those whose needs are unmet ‘own’ the problem.
  • It is the ‘owner’ who must find the ‘solution’.
  • During the process of ‘resolution’, ‘ownership’ could change hands.
• Conflict Resolution: After individually assessing the situation, appropriate solution has to be determined by respecting rights of others without compromising own needs.

II. Summary of Round Table Discussions

a. Strategy

• There is lot of difference between ‘India of 1960s’ and ‘India of 2011’ in terms of economy, technology, military, space, human resources etc.,
• 21 century is viewed globally as ‘Asia’s century’ and India has a significant role to play.
• India’s ‘Look East Policy’ must be more constructive, objective, holistic and diplomatic with political realism and assertiveness to deal with relations.
• India’s ‘rashtriya dharma’ (national interests) must always be above ‘coalition dharma’ in formulating foreign policy.
• All actors in the East Asia region are important irrespective of their capability, size, intentions.
• There is competition between players like China, Japan, U.S, India to occupy strategic space in the East Asia region.
• Does India have the capacity, capability to reach and sustain in the East Asian region ?
• To understand better, one must look Sri Lankan issues with ‘Sri Lankan Eyes’ and similarly look into China issues with ‘Chinese Eyes’.
• Is India too much China-centric or too much pre-occupied with China in approaching East Asian regional issues instead of looking beyond ?

b. Diplomacy

• Diplomacy plays a major role to resolve conflicts between the nations.
• Diplomacy has played a major role to convince Australia to sell uranium to India.
• Diplomacy has succeeded in Vietnam through Mekong – Ganga Cooperation.
• China needs to be taken more as an ‘opportunity’ than to see as a ‘challenge’.
• India’s diplomacy has been mostly proactive and absorptive. Now it is becoming assertive.
• India lacks the following in diplomacy:
  • India is still hesitating to recognise Taiwan and North Korea. This is to please whom ?
  • In controlling the Chinese presence in Sri Lanka.
  • In controlling the Chinese presence in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK).
  • Diplomacy can not be effective with insufficient manpower in foreign missions.
• If diplomats in foreign missions have to be productive,
  • They must know the local language.
  • They must be well-informed about the country and socio-cultural background.
• Archival details of the nation must be available in public domain, for the researchers and scholars to study the past. This helps to plan future course of action without repeating the past mistakes.
• A country can reduce defence expenditure by having more diplomats. Same time diplomacy without arms is like playing music without instruments. So, correct balancing is required.
• We need to learn a lot from China’s diplomacy.

c. Economy

• India’s potential in the South East Asian region in terms of economy and trade is much more than what is being estimated.
• Is there a fast-track platform to address the issues related to FTAs signed by India with East Asian countries ?

d. Security

• ASEAN views India as a credible, trusted regional power.
• Nations in the eastern region must encourage collaboration rather than confrontation, while attempting to achieve their respective national interests.
• External players (U.S, China, Japan, India and Russia) continue to show their interest in East Asia and South East Asia.
• Islamic fundamentalism, sea piracy are the areas of concern in the South East Asia region.
• Korean Peninsula, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait remain as flash points for conflicts. Code of Conduct is being evolved to reduce conflicts and to create ‘no strife’ environment.
• China’s presence in South East Asia and the Indian Ocean is increasing but China has to remain as a peaceful player.
• U.S interests in the East Asia region largely relates to Maritime Security, Non-Proliferation, Disaster Response and Humanitarian Assistance.
• ADMM Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting) is being viewed by the U.S as an innovative mechanism to strengthen regional security and China too considers it as a platform to build mutual trust and cooperation. India is merely participating without initiating anything in this forum. 
• As far as India is concerned, China remains as a potential threat either short term or long term; it may not be a imminent threat or immediate threat.

e. Technology and Knowledge Management

• Print and electronic media play a major role in nation building. But the media does not cover the good work done by the governments in the front page.
• India’s 54 percent youth population is nowhere comparable with other countries.

Thanks to NMF, UNOM and ORF for organising this Round Table discussions.

Now time has come to highlight International Men’s Day if we need men as seafarers. It is celebrated on November 19th of the year.

This year’s theme is “Giving Boys The Best Possible Start In Life”.

In India, men demand “right to life” and “peaceful existence”.

What are their demands ?

Here are the demands as listed in their website “International Men’s Day, Nov 19th”

• Change in the attitude that injustice to men gives justice to women.
• Create a Men’s Welfare Ministry with the mandate to look into the welfare of men and boys.
• Make dowry law (Section 498a) bailable, and non-cognizable, which is overdue since last 8 years.
• Remove all sections of Domestic Violence Act that contradicts civil procedure code and make it gender neutral.
• Introduce stringent laws to punish women who file false cases to harass husbands and their families.
• Introduce legal provisions for protection of men from threats, abuse, blackmail and intimate terror by women.
• Make all Anti-Male laws gender neutral.
• Overhaul all maintenance laws to ensure that maintenance to a woman is based on the tenure of cohabitation and also based on the earning potential of that woman.
• Introduce stringent laws to enforce visitation and custody rights of men.
• Create Separate State Commission for Men (SCM) and helpline to counsel suicidal men.
• Remove the ban on men to contest in panchayat and municipal elections that has been imposed in certain constituencies so as to maintain free and fair elections, one of the basic principles of democracy.
• Amend all relevant laws to remove presumptions and give judiciary the freedom to apply its mind.

The above demands are very genuine considering the fact that Indian Society has changed a lot. 

Here are some interesting messages, as images:

Dynamics of Misandry: as seen by the present Indian Society, Media, and Law Makers.

Men’s Demand in Tamil

Download and read as pdf – Equality for Men: Myth or Reality

Read more from:

• Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF)
• International Men’s Day, November 19th

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP or KNPP) located in Kudankulam of Tamil Nadu State is in the final stage of completion. The project cost to India in 2001 was estimated as US$ 3.5 billion. Now regular protests are going on to scrap KKNPP.

The present status of KKNPP are:

• Unit No 1 of 1000 MWe capacity has achieved 99.2 % of physical progress as on September 2011 and is expected to commence commercial operation in December 2011 (schedule date of commercial operation December 2007).
• Unit No 2 of 1000 MWe capacity has achieved 94.6 % of physical progress as on September 2011 and is expected to commence commercial operation in August 2012 (schedule date of commercial operation December 2008).
• Surprisingly, anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project protest has gained momentum and has gone to that extent of stopping work in the plant. The protesters have erected a roadblock in front of the plant site to prevent entry of scientists and workers into the plant. This is likely to delay the commercial operation of the plant.
• The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has constituted an Expert Group of 15 specialists to interact with the government of Tamil Nadu and spokespersons of the people around KKNPP in Tamil Nadu.

Some unanswered questions:

• Is it fair to ask this plant to stop work, when it is nearing completion with Crores of Indian taxpayers money ?
• If the reason for protest is against use of nuclear energy to generate electricity, where were these protestors when the Indo – U.S Nuclear deal was discussed in Indian Parliament ?
• Kudankulam Port was developed (became operational in 2004) by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to set up KKNPP. Surrounding areas around Kudankulam were also developed. The local people have benefitted from these developments. Now when the project is nearing completion, why these protests ? There are media reports saying that these protests are triggered by foreign agencies.

Here are the major reasons for the protest and comments to the protests are given in italics:

1. Fear of accident and subsequent loss of life and property: Accidents do happen in land (railways, roadways, industries etc.,), air (airways), sea (marine accidents/pollution). Whenever accidents take place, safety audits are done to stop such accidents in future. Just because of occurrence of accidents, people do not stop travelling in Train, Bus, Aircrafts, Ships etc., and industries are not discouraged to expand.
2. Safety around the plant during operation: This is not the first nuclear plant to be set up in India or in the coast of Tamil Nadu. Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) is located in coastal town of Kalpakkam and has safely operated during Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami in December 2004. Due to technological development, nuclear plant designs are being improved to minimise accidents. India has adequate expertise to address this issue.
3. Safety of the plant during earthquake and tsunami: Recent Fukushima nuclear disaster of March 2011 is being cited as an example to worry. The Fukushima plant is of 1970’s design and the magnitude of earthquake, occurrence of tsunami in Japan are not fully applicable to KKNPP. 
4. Loss of livelihood to fishermen: This is not the first nuclear plant to be set up in coastal area, now to worry about.

Here are the various clearances given by different agencies to develop KKNPP since 1983. What these protestors were doing, when these clearances were given ?

1. June & December 1983: Assurance on Pechipparai Water by Government of Tamil Nadu PWD.
2. September 1987 & February 1988: Clearance by Committee on Conservation of Seashore, Government of Tamilnadu, for location of Atomic Power Station at Kudankulam.
3. April 1989: 500 meters Shore line Clearance.
4. May 1989: Clearance from Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India.
5. July 1989: Clearance from Forest Department, Government of Tamil Nadu.
6. 1988-89: Environmental Committee Clearance by Environment & Forest Department, Government of Tamil Nadu State.
7. November 1989: AERB Clearance for Site Location.
8. October 2001: AERB Clearance for Site Excavation.
9. March 22, 2002: AERB Clearance for First Pour of Concreting of RAB.
10. April 09, 2002: AERB Clearance for First Pour of Concreting of RB.
11. June 15, 2004: AERB Clearance for Construction Beyond +17M Elevation for RB.
12. September 09, 2004: AERB – Civil Construction of Primary Containment of KKNPP-1&2.
13. March 10, 2005: AERB – Inspection report on grout efficiency of second mockup for Horizontal Tendon H-40.
14. August 30, 2006: AERB Clearance for Erection of Major Equipment.
15. September 23, 2006: AERB Permission to Start Grouting Operations for Horizontal tendons in IC Wall and Dome of IC for KKNPP-1&2.
16. June 22, 2007: AERB Clearance for Erection of Major Equipment for KKNPP-1&2.
17. June 30, 2011: AERB Clearance for Hot-Run of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Unit-1.

The KKNPP location in the coast of Tamil Nadu is very much safe and the fear psychosis of local people of Kudankulam has to be removed by creating awareness about the safety aspects of KKNPP to give up these protests.

Read more

• from Business Standard dated October 09, 2011: M R Srinivasan – Why Kudankulam nuke plant is viable ?
• from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL): Safety of Nuclear Power Plants
• from Press Information Bureau dated October 20, 2011: Department of Atomic Energy Constitutes an Expert Group for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project
• from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) as pdf dated September 05, 2011: Report of High Level AERB Committee on Safety Review of Indian NPPs against External Events of Natural Origin

The Tata Grande IndiBlogger Meet was held at Regency Ball Room, Hyatt Regency, Chennai on 09 October 2011. WiFi connectivity was freely available to tweet, browse etc.,

This is the third blogger meeting attended by me at Chennai. Previously I attended UniverCell Chennai IndiBlogger Meet on 20 March 2010 and Microsoft IndiBlogger Meet on 08 June 2008.

Tata Motors theme for the meeting was “TATA Grande Dicor – Size Matters”. It was a brilliant idea of the Tata Motors to position, two Grande Dicor vehicles (one in the dining hall and one in the meeting hall) for the IndiBloggers to gain first hand information about this vehicle.

251 bloggers registered to attend this meeting but it seems all could not make it. I guess more than 150 bloggers were present.

The IndiBlogger Meet took off with this agenda:

Here are some photographs:

The registration towards finishing stage.

The IndiBlogger Meet in progress (you can see a Grande Dicor vehicle displayed next to screen).

The 49 Seconds of Fame by IndiBloggers.

IndiBloggers interaction with Tata Grande Dicor.

High Tea.

Interesting IndiBlogger interaction.

IndiBlogger forum discussion on: Chennai’s roads, fuel hikes and other Chennai matters.

IndiBlogger forum discussion on: Blogging – who has the biggest widget and other stuff.

IndiBlogger forum discussion on: Cars and Travel.

As size matters, it needs two banners to get full view of Tata Grande Dicor.

Finally before winding up, IndiBloggers posed for a group photo.

All IndiBloggers received T – Shirts also (front view). As size matters, I preferred to take the largest XXL size T – Shirt

T – Shirts (back view).

Thanks to Tata Motors and IndiBlogger for organising this wonderful event.

For more details on Tata Grande Dicor, log on to Tata Motors.

Durga Pooja 2011 celebrations concluded with the immersion of ‘Maa Durga’ in the Bay of Bengal at Palavakkam Beach, Chennai on the afternoon of 06 October 2011.

Here are some photographs:

Read more about Maa Durga from Wikipedia.

This is the last part of the SHIPS 2011 (Strategies, Human Resources, Infrastructure, Processes and Security) Conference with the theme ‘Build Ships – Build India’ hosted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and National Maritime Foundation (NMF) at The Gateway Hotel, Kochi, Kerala on 27 and 28 September 2011.

The SHIPS 2011: “Build Ships – Build India” Seminar continued on 28 September 2011. Some interesting features of the second day seminar are:

• Morning:
  • Plenary sessions on Indigenisation, Shipyard Productivity.
  • Speakers of the seminar were honoured.
• Afternoon:
  • Panel Discussion was conducted as a colloquium by all participants formed into four brain storming groups to discuss on Policy, Productivity, Indigenisation and Human Resources.
  • Seminar was concluded with valedictory session.
  • A visit to Cochin Shipyard Ltd was arranged for a group of 25 to 30 delegates.

Day 2 Proceedings: 28 September 2011

Plenary Session V: Indigenisation

• Opening Remarks & Chair: Capt (Retd) SK Patnaik, Head – Marine Marketing Business, Larson & Toubro Ltd.
• “Warship Building in India – Present, Past and Future”: by Commodore Anil Kumar Saxena, Warship Production Superintendent, Mumbai.
• “Opportunities and Challenges in Warship Building in India – An Indian Navy Perspective”: by Commander Rajeev Sreedharan, Directorate of Naval Design, New Delhi.

Highlights

• India is having a glorious maritime heritage; but around the period of independence, India could not match the capability (to design and build warships) available with other countries; now India has built around 80 warships with 18 Indian designs.
• Presently Indian Navy has the largest pool of Naval Architects in the country with the capability to design all types of warships; also current warships are being constructed with 60% to 80% indigenous content; if the present trend continues, India can become a warship seller to the world.
• India’s core capabilities in warship design
  • Structural design.
  • Stealth.
  • Hydrodynamics.
  • Propulsion system integration.
  • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning).
• Earlier Public Sector Shipyards like MDL, GRSE, GSL were engaged in warship construction; now CSL and HSL are also engaged in warship construction.
• Features unique to Indian warship building
  • Extremely complex engineering activity that involves integration of equipment, systems of various manufacturers from India and other countries.
  • Undergoes frequent midcourse corrections due to technological advancements and to comply to the latest military strategy.
  • Prolonged financial sanction procedures followed by the government.
  • No significant learning curve benefits because of small batch sizes of warships.
  • Telescopic design and construction because of long gestation periods.
  • Thrust on indigenisation, to overcome possible ‘sanctions’ from other countries.
  • Slow decision making as the number of stakeholders are more.
  • Higher shipyard effort is needed to deliver the warship.
• Factors affecting development of indigenous material and equipment for warship building
  • Government:
    • Restricts production of many items by private industry to safeguard military interests.
    • Complicated and prolonged procedures set up by the government to procure material from vendors.
    • Overdependence on foreign OEMs for the supply of material.
  • Vendors:
    • Show least interest to indigenise materials/products as it involves huge investments and less volume of business.
    • Performance of most of the vendors are not satisfactory.
• Now Indian Navy has started placing orders to build low weapon intensive warships by private shipyards.
• What needs to be done further for warship building ?
  • Capacity expansion with modern shipbuilding techniques to meet the growing requirements of warships by the Indian Navy.
  • Shipyards have to improve productivity.
  • Synergise the strengths of Public Sector and Private Sector.
  • Develop a strong shipyard-vendor partnership.
  • Focus on R&D and Technology Development.
  • More government support for warship building.
  • Develop industry practices and processes to suit evolutionary nature of warship building.
  • Codify materials with Indian Standards (in line with global standards) to boost indigenisation.

Plenary Session VI: Shipyard Productivity

• Opening Remarks & Chair: Mr Antony Prince, President, GTR Campbell Marine Consultants Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas.
• “Productivity in Indian Shipyards – A Coast Guard Perspective”: by DIG Arun Shrivastav, Director (Material), Indian Coast Guard.
• “Warship Construction in India – Can enhanced shipyard productivity improve delivery periods”: by Capt M Nirmal Menon, Warship Production Superintendent, Kochi, Indian Navy.

Highlights

• Indian Coast Guard ships are being constructed by both Public and Private Sector shipyards; Indian Coast Guard faces problems in both type of shipyards for ship construction; there is a need to benchmark shipbuilding processes of Indian shipyards to global standards; this will help to improve the productivity of Indian shipyards.
• Problems faced in Public Sector shipyards
  • Lack of modernisation and automation.
  • Design capability not of international standards.
  • Delays in Planning and Procurements.
  • Low productivity.
• Problems in Private Sector shipyards
  • Commercial considerations play a major role.
  • Lack of quality control mechanism.
  • Low productivity.
  • Deviation from standard shipbuilding procedures.
• Common grey areas
  • Poor product support.
  • Lack of ancillary support.
  • Over-dependence on manufacturers based abroad.
  • Lack of quality and trained manpower.
• Advantages seen in foreign shipyards for shipbuilding
  • Great emphasis on use of jigs, frames, lifting tools, mock ups, templates etc.,
  • Automation.
  • Production dash boards available to monitor daily progress.
  • Emphasis on time, space and safety management.
• Post-launching build periods for warships are abnormally high in India; this leads to
  • Obsolescence of equipment.
  • Preservation of equipment till installation and commissioning.
  • Risk of losing warranty/guarantee.
  • Technology is outdated by the time warship is delivered.
• Reasons for long construction periods for warships in Indian shipyards
  • Design changes and midcourse corrections.
  • Complicated procedures lead to delayed approvals.
  • Lack of indigenisation and over-dependence on foreign suppliers.
  • Not following integrated ship construction.
  • Lack of Planning and Project Management.
• Modernisation needed in Indian shipyards to improve productivity.
  • Docks & Crane facility.
  • High capacity cranes.
  • Improved shop facilities.
  • Trained manpower.
  • Use of CAD/CAM and other IT solutions in shipbuilding processes.
  • Implementing integrated construction.

Plenary Session VII: Colloquium

All the participants were formed into four groups to discuss on the following topics as per their choice:

• Government Policy.
  • Uniform Inland Vessel Act for all states have to be promulgated like Kerala Inland Vessels Rules, 2010.
  • National level directory of ship builders, ship repairers, marine vendors must be compiled, published and to be updated regularly.
  • Government support must be extended to both private and public sector shipyards to market their products.
  • National Shipbuilding Corporation with representatives from maritime domain has to be established.
  • National Port Authority must be established to control the sea ports like Airport Authority of India
• Shipyard Productivity.
  • Shipyards must have state of the art design capability to ensure error-free, defect-free shipbuilding; ship designers must have practical exposure to ship building and seafaring to be good designers; a good design helps to reduce time and cost over run.
  • Shipyards must interact with each other to improve productivity.
  • Shipyards must have a strong vendor base to reduce procurement time and to procure quality material.
  • Improve project management skills to avoid rework/reduce process time. 
• Indigenisation.
  • Encourage reverse engineering to speed up indigenisation.
  • Encourage joint ventures with foreign manufacturers with full technology transfer.
  • Avoid L1 syndrome.
  • Encourage R&D.
• Human Resources.
  • Consider training as an investment.
  • Encourage multi-skilling.
  • Benchmarking is necessary at training level (for the training institutes) to maintain uniform skill level.
  • Assure career progression for the employees.

Valedictory Session:

• Valedictory Address: by Mr KKM Kutty, Past Chairman, CII SR and CEO & Managing Director Sealings & Jointings.
• Vote of Thanks: by Gp Captain (Retd) LV Mohandas, Head – IT & Internal Security, CII – SR.

More photographs are available in Flickr.

• SHIPS 2011: Plenary Session V – Indigenisation
• SHIPS 2011: Plenary Session VI – Shipyard Productivity
• SHIPS 2011: Plenary Session VII – Colloquium
• SHIPS 2011: Honouring Speakers
• SHIPS 2011: Valedictory Session

This is part 2 of 3 of the SHIPS 2011 (Strategies, Human Resources, Infrastructure, Processes and Security) Conference with the theme ‘Build Ships – Build India’ hosted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and National Maritime Foundation (NMF) at The Gateway Hotel, Kochi, Kerala on 27 and 28 September 2011.

The SHIPS 2011: “Build Ships – Build India” Seminar went on with the following plenary sessions on 27 September 2011, after the inaugural session:

• Plenary Session I – Strategies: Intended to bring out the options available in India and to list the factors to emerge as a major world shipbuilding power; how to benchmark the shipbuilding industry in India; resources needed to achieve the national maritime objectives and the areas that need attention.
• Plenary Session II – Processes: Intended to assess the shipbuilding processes in public and private sector shipyards in areas such as ship design, shipbuilding, inspection, classification and certification; role of Information Technology (IT) in these processes and scope of up-gradation of these processes.
• Plenary Session III – Infrastructure: Intended to assess the present shipbuilding infrastructure in areas like physical infrastructure, connectivity, funding, financing, statutory and regulatory aspects.
• Plenary Session IV – Human Resources: Intended to develop a dedicated shipbuilding cadre to meet the technological advancements taking place in ship design, shipbuilding, manning ships including R&D for both warships and merchant ships.

Day 1 Proceedings (continued): 27 September 2011

Plenary Session I: Strategies

• Opening Remarks & Chair: Rear Admiral S Madhusudhanan, Flag Officer (SPV and AOB), Naval Head Quarters, New Delhi.
• “Ship Building – Why we are behind ? Strategies for growth”: by Mr Antony Prince, President, GTR Campbell Marine Consultants Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas.
• “Challenges of Building and Operating Marine (Assets/Crafts) in India”: by Mr Johnson Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director, Trans Asian Shipping Services Pvt Ltd.

Highlights

• Indian Shipbuilding comprises of Warship Building and Commercial Shipbuilding; it is unique as the shipyard has to sell first and then build the ship for the buyer.
• Shipbuilding has long gestation period, needs lot of funding, installs costly equipment and is labour intensive; this combination can become a disaster if not handled well; it is highly rewarding if handled properly; strategies are needed to make it profitable.
• National Shipbuilding Capability Index for the shipyards has to be brought out.
• Shipbreaking/recycling industry must not be neglected and the norms have to be set for this industry.
• India lags behind China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines in shipbuilding and ship repair.
• What prevents India to become a world leader (like in IT) in Shipbuilding ?
  • Lack of Vision, Resolve and Management.
  • Lack of a ‘Sam Pitroda’ in Indian Shipbuilding.
• Shipyard’s Low Productivity and Delayed Delivery Schedules are preventing India to compete in the world shipbuilding market. The reasons are:
  • Lack of Management and Commitment.
  • Short term policies and Short term appointment of CMDs in Shipyards.
  • Lack of experienced design engineers, production engineers.
  • Lack of development in ship design technology and production technology.
  • Poor labour relations.
  • Outdated government policies.
  • Lack of support from Ship Owners (buyers), Classification Societies.
  • Buyers’ inexperienced supervisory staff.
• India’s ship design capabilities may be fairly good for warships but remains very poor for designs relating to merchant ships including Coast Guard ships.
• India is unable to use the latest IT tools in shipbuilding as India still lacks in basic ship design and production technology.
• Indigenous content in shipbuilding needs enhancement; this can be achieved by formulating vision and goal oriented government policies to attract OEMs to tie up with Indian manufacturers.
• Government support is needed to develop infrastructure, to improve ship design and production technology, to implement ERP systems in shipbuilding.
• Development of a Shipbuilding Cadre in Managerial, Supervisory and Technician levels can be achieved by providing necessary training; cost of training has to be considered as an investment instead of looking at it as an avoidable expenditure; for the last eight years due to non availability of expertise in ship design and production, most of the orders to build ships were either cancelled or postponed; we have to be ‘proactive’ in this area instead of remaining ‘reactive’.
• Multiple professional associations/bodies in maritime domain must understand that shipping industry and the nation’s interest is foremost; they must unify and work together to bring up the shipping industry by interacting with the government.
• An independent, powerful National Ocean Commission headed by a ‘Sam Pitroda’ of the shipping industry has to be set up; all departments of the central government and state governments dealing in  maritime domain must be brought under this commission; representatives from Finance, Home, Defence & Merchant shipping, Commerce, Revenue, Customs, Environment, Education, Labour ministries, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Ship Designers, Shipbuilding industry, Ship owners, Ship managers, Educational institutions, Banks, Insurance, Labour unions etc., must be in the National Shipbuilding Panel to support this National Ocean Commission.
• Experience of Mr Antony Prince, President, GTR Campbell Marine Consultants Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas with Indian shipbuilders
  • Extreme success: In end 2003 placed order for six bulk carriers with CSL, four bulk carriers with HSL; both shipyards delivered ships without any problem.
  • Extreme failure: In 2007, placed order for six vessels with a private shipyard and not even a single vessel is delivered till now.
• There was unanimous support from the audience to nominate Mr Antony Prince as ‘Sam Pitroda’ of Indian shipping industry.
• Though there is a need to build adequate port infrastructure, the existing under utilised non major ports must be fully exploited.
• Experience of Mr Johnson Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director, Trans Asian Shipping Services Pvt Ltd as a Ship Owner in India
  • Trans Asian Shipping Services took a bold decision in the year 2005 to build a multipurpose vessel in India to operate in minor ports world wide.
  • Design was ready in 2006; due to prolonged delay in getting approval for the design from Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), design approval was taken from  International Register for Shipping.
  • Keel was laid in 2009 at Century Shipyard in Kochi, Kerala.
  • The vessel ‘Karuthal’ (1600 DWT, 94 TEU capacity) with 95% indigenous material, machinery, expertise and technology was launched in mid 2009; again lot of problems were experienced from Indian authorities to launch the vessel.
  • The vessel was put in service in end 2009; though the vessel successfully operates in Middle East Gulf, the vessel is unable to transport domestic cargo between non major ports in India as the vessel is not Indian flagged and to get a Indian flag, the vessel has to be IRS classed; IRS is delaying certification without giving any valid reasons; As a solution, Mr Antony Prince opined that DG Shipping may have to certify vessels to operate within Indian Coast as followed in Japan and China.
  • This ship owner is also planning to operate combi river-sea vessels in the north – south corridor in the east and west coast of India.
• Views of Mr Johnson Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director, Trans Asian Shipping Services Pvt Ltd as a Ship Owner
  • In China if their shipyards are full, they build ships in paddy fields and launch ships by using strong rubber tubes.
  • Indian container manufacturers have closed down due to tough competition from China.
  • Monopoly of IRS has to change.
  • Most of the impossible feats were achieved by people who were so dumb that they didn’t know it was not possible.

Plenary Session II: Processes

• Opening Remarks & Chair: Cmde (Retd) Kartik Subramaniam, Chairman & Managing Director and Officiating Director (Operations), Cochin Shipyard Limited.
• “Information Technology: The New Glue for Shipbuilding”: by Mr R Shankar, Executive Vice President – India, Middle East, & Africa, Ramco Systems.
• “Importance of Life Saving Appliances on Ships”: by Mr K Balasubramaniam, Managing Partner, Marine Equipment & Technical Manager, Vadyar Boats Pvt Ltd.

Highlights

• Shipbuilding has now become a science from the traditional version of being an art.
• Cochin Shipyard, Hindustan Shipyard, Mundra Port (Gujarat Adani Port Ltd) use Ramco Systems’ IT Solutions.
• Factors affecting Indian Shipbuilding Industry
  • Government Policy
  • Capacity
  • Marine Supply Industry
  • Forex
  • Labour cost
• IT tools like ERP, CAD/CAM, CAE, PLM, BPM, BI/DM can be easily used to improve productivity in shipbuilding in the following processes:
  • Ship Design
  • Contract
  • Steel Storage Pretreatment
  • Steel Cutting
  • Erection and Launching
  • Assembly and Painting
  • Final outfitting
  • Sea Trial and Delivery
• Life Saving Appliances:
  • Ships are provided with life saving appliances like Life Boats, Rescue Boats, Life Rafts, Life Jackets, Life Buoys for 100% of crew capacity.
  • Material used for life saving appliances are: Wood, Steel, Aluminum, GRP.
  • In addition to manual launching of life boats, now there are Free Fall Life Boats and Vertical Fall Life Boats.
  • Though tremendous progress has taken place in design, building of davits and life boats, the maintenance of these equipment still lag behind.
  • Efforts are being made to minimise accidents in using life saving appliances by improving design, by implementing stringent inspection/certification, by training the ships crew to maintain and use life saving appliances safely.
• Possibilities of using the expertise available with life boat manufacturers, must be examined to manufacture small crafts for use in inland waterways to ferry cargo and passengers.
• Demand to procure life boats from India has reduced as new ships are being ordered/built in foreign shipyards; however there is demand for rescue boats, work boats.
• Inspection/certification/approval of one state maritime board is not recognised by other state maritime boards; this is a road block to marine industry’s growth.

Plenary Session III: Infrastructure

• Opening Remarks & Chair: Rear Admiral (Retd) BR Menon, Ex Chairman, Kerala Shipping & Inland Navigation Corporation Ltd and Adviser to the Government of Kerala for development of Inland waterways.
• “Shipbuilding Infrastructure – L & T’s Perspective”: by Capt (Retd) SK Patnaik, Head – Marine Marketing Business, Larson & Toubro Ltd.
• “Integrated Shipbuilding Strategy with Product Lifecycle Management”: by Rear Admiral (Retd) Rajeev Paralikar, Domain Consultant, ITC Infotech Ltd.

Highlights

• Infrastructure
  • Ports and Shipyards
    • Development of ports and development of shipbuilding are the two sides of the same coin.
    • 68% of people from BPL (Below Poverty Line), live in the coasts of India; employability of people living in the coast can be achieved only by developing non major ports.
    • The future of Indian Shipbuilding depends on the development of non major ports.
    • Port Control Authority should do least controlling and should not become a road block in the development of ports and shipyards.
  • Location: the practice of constructing berths/jetties for ships at convenient locations without considering the navigational aspects/sea currents has to be avoided; in six of the recently constructed berths by spending crores of rupees at Lakshadweep islands, not even a single ship can be berthed; developing ports, shipyards in the right location is equally important.
  • Dredging: It is the most neglected activity in India; science of dredging needs to be understood; if dredging is not given importance, ports will be unsafe for navigation.
  • Connectivity: Connectivity of ports/shipyards through roadways,railways and waterways must be considered in addition to connectivity through sea.
  • Funding: The subsidies given to shipping industry was withdrawn by the government, as it was not fully utilised by the industry; but as the shipbuilding is capital intensive, subsidy has to be continued; shipbuilding has developed/being developed in China, Korea, Brazil, New Zealand only by government support.
• Digital Shipbuilding
  • Helps to design the way it is built: Outputs are Complex Jigs & Fixture details, Production drawings, Engineering bill of material, Isometric generation, Shipping in/out routs.
  • Uses Product Lifecycle Management (PLM): for all areas of project execution like Design, Planning, Manufacture, Support.
  • Ensures to build the right product and to build the product right: by using right bill of materials, the right quality standards, the right system level performance requirements.
  • Error-free seamless integration of Design & Engineering Hub with Manufacturing Hub.
• Benefits of PLM based Digital Manufacturing
  • Improves planning & scheduling.
  • Eliminates rework.
  • Shortens time-to-production.
  • System centric project execution.
  • Gives “Build Anywhere & Assemble Anywhere” option.
  • Competitive advantage through adaptable and lean manufacturing practices.
• L & T has the following Design & Technology Centers
  • Warship Design Center.
  • Submarine Design Center.
  • Commercial Ship Design Center.
  • Product & Technology Development Center.
  • Technology Development Center – Electronics.
• IT applications are now available from ITC Infotech & PTC for the following complex shipbuilding activities
  • Ship Design.
  • Materials Procurement.
  • Fabrication of Hull Blocks.
  • Assembly of Hull Blocks in a Dry Dock or at a Berth.
  • Fitting Out at an alongside berth.
  • Trials and Delivery.
• Infrastructure required for modern shipyards
  • Optimally designed work areas, docks and wharfs.
  • Multi disciplinary modular workshops.
  • Extensive use of CAM and High productivity machine tools.
  • Heavy lift cranes and Haulage equipment.
• Key result areas for a Shipyard
  • Infrastructure.
  • Effective control systems.
  • Skills and Training of Human Resources.

Plenary Session IV: Human Resources

• Opening Remarks, presentation on “Need of the Hour – Trained Skills in Maritime Sector” & Chair: by Capt Suresh Bhardwaj, Vice Chancellor, AMET University.
• “Human Resources”: by Ms Urmila Shetty, Chief Manager HR – Officers Section, Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).
• “Research Challenges for Shipping Industry – HR Perspectives”: by Dr Srinivasan Sundarrajan, Director, National Institute of Technology, Trichy.

Highlights

• Economic growth cannot be achieved without a strong human capital.
• We have to invest, nurture and support an environment to enhance the skills, productivity, employability of the human capital.
• Trained skills needed for the maritime sector has to be jointly addressed by the three stakeholders namely the Government, Shipping Industry and Marine Training Institutions.
• Human Resource Strategies of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).
  • Organisation Structure.
  • Right-sized Workforce.
  • Building Quality Workforce.
  • Training Activities.
  • Multi-Skilling.
  • Production Norms.
• MDL successfully performs by maintaining 75% workforce in permanent roll and 25% of workforce on contract employment (not sub-contract, keeping in roll for two year period).
• MDL has rationalised 134 trades into 34 trades by multi-skilling; these 34 trades are further brought into 4 groups based on the skill level.
• MDL has brought down Man-Days/Tonne of fabrication from 65 in 2004-2005 to 42 in 2010-2011.
• Number of female engineers employed in MDL are increasing and they perform well like their male counterparts (earlier female engineers were not there in shipyards).
• NIT – Trichy proposes to set up a Center of Excellence for Shipping R & D by involving Shipyards/Indian Navy/Merchant Navy, Marine Supply Industries, Classification Societies, Marine University/Academy.
• NIT – Trichy’s Shipping R & D will focus on high performance, less maintenance, energy efficiency, environment friendliness, sustainability.

More photographs are available in Flickr.

• SHIPS 2011: Plenary Session I – Strategies
• SHIPS 2011: Plenary Session II – Processes
• SHIPS 2011: Plenary Session III – Infrastructure
• SHIPS 2011: Plenary Session IV – Human Resources

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and National Maritime Foundation (NMF) hosted SHIPS 2011 (Strategies, Human Resources, Infrastructure, Processes and Security) Conference with the theme ‘Build Ships – Build India’ at The Gateway Hotel, Kochi, Kerala on 27 and 28 September 2011.

It is worth noting that Kochi in addition to being a major port, is having a large Public Sector Shipyard and is also the Head Quarters for the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) offers courses in marine engineering and marine sciences. Further Naval Academy of the Indian Navy (at Ezhimala), Coast Guard Academy (coming up at Azhikkal), National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding (NIRDESH coming up at Chaliyam, Kadalundi Beypore) are in Kerala.

The two day seminar was attended by the representatives from Ship Owners, Ship Builders, Marine Equipment Manufacturers/Suppliers, Classification Society, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and other marine disciplines including foreign delegates.

On the evening of 27 September 2011, Prof P J Cherian of Kerala Council for Historical Research was honoured by Vice Admiral KN Sushil, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command and NMF for his report on Pattanam Archaeological Research 2011.

I have covered this Seminar SHIPS 2011 in three parts (this being part 1 of 3).

Day 1 Proceedings: 27 September 2011

Inaugural Session

• Opening Address: by Mr KKM Kutty, Past Chairman, CII SR and CEO & Managing Director Sealings & Jointings.
• Theme Address: by Vice Admiral (Retd) Pradeep Kaushiva, Director, National Maritime Foundation.
• Keynote Address: by Mr Paul Antony, IAS, Chairman, Cochin Port Trust.
• Special Address: by Mr Manoj Joshi, IAS, Secretary – Ports & Secretary PWD (Addl Charge), Government of Kerala.
• Address by Chief Guest: Vice Admiral B Kannan, Programme Director, ATV Project, Indian Navy.
• Concluding Remarks: by Gp Captain (Retd) LV Mohandas, Head – IT & Internal Security, CII – SR.

Highlights of the Inaugural Session

• Maritime Agenda 2010 – 2010 was released by the government on 13 January 2011; as a follow up, IMTC 2011 was held at Chennai on 21 and 22 January 2011; IMTC 2011 has triggered this SHIPS 2011 to take place now.
• Strategies:
  • Maritime Agenda 2010 – 2010 released by the government gives a predictive analysis for ports and trades upto the year 2025; it needs further refinement as it does not give trend analysis pertaining to shipping, shipbuilding, human resources.
  • Shipping industry is a unique industry where ships can be built anywhere in the world, flagged anywhere in the world, brought duty free and can be operated anywhere in the world as convenient; this industry grows only where the construction cost and time are less and also where the government policies, rules are industry friendly.
  • Withdrawal of subsidies has upset the Indian shipping industry; Indian Shipbuilding industry needs ten more years to become a self sustaining industry.
  • Now the shipbuilding industry needs to be declared as a strategic industry (with simple tax policy) and has to be governed by a fully empowered single regulating body.
  • Inland Waterways needs to be strengthened for cargo movement and for ferrying passengers to accelerate economic growth of the country and this can give a boost for building inland water crafts by the shipbuilding industry.
  • Despite increase in the volume of global trade through sea, Indian merchant fleet remains small due to lack of growth in Indian shipping industry; this has forced us to procure our strategic requirement of crude, oil and coal through foreign flagged vessels (this is not desirable during conflicts).
  • To increase the Indian merchant fleet strength, private shipyards must focus on building large merchant vessels.
• Human Resources:
  • Labour intensive component of shipbuilding has driven this industry from Europe to China, South Korea and Japan.
  • Indian Maritime University has to focus on addressing the present shortage of skilled man power needed to design, build and to man ships to meet the growing demand of the shipping industry.
  • Functioning of private institutes offering courses in shipping are to be streamlined.
• Infrastructure:
  • Maritime Agenda 2010 – 2010 released by the government focuses more on 13 major ports as they are under the control of the central government and the 187 non major ports (earlier known as minor ports) are left out as they are under the control of the state governments; however Gujarat has taken the initiative to develop maximum number of non major ports.
  • Non availability of land, hinders expansion of Public Sector shipyards.
  • Indian Defence Public Sector Units (DPSU) are unable to meet the shipbuilding requirements of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard; private shipyards are supporting DPSUs by undertaking off loaded jobs from these DPSUs; now the recently proposed Joint Venture (JV) between MDL and Pipavav shipyards is a welcome move.
• Processes:
  • Ports must be automated for faster handling of containers and use port specific software for faster turn around of ships; operating cost of ships needs to be minimised by improving berthing, dredging, cargo handling facilities in ports.
  • NMF has undertaken the task of benchmarking the productivity of Indian shipyards.

Maritime Philatelic Exhibition

Philatelic Exhibition by Mr D Hemchandra Rao, Naval Historian & Chairman, Naval Philatelic Society.

• Release of Special Cover to mark the occasion: SHIPS 2011 “Build Ships – Build India”.

Inauguration of Marine Exposition: Marine equipment/products manufactured by the shipping industry were displayed. Marine exposition consisted of the stalls from

• Aerial Services Pvt Ltd
• Aska Equipments Ltd
• ITC Infotec & PTC
• Madras Hardtools Pvt Ltd
• Maxsurf – The Ship Design Software
• Mypol
• Nivo Controls Pvt Ltd
• Ramco Systems
• Tyco Electronics Corporation (I) Pvt Ltd
• Vadyar Boats Pvt Ltd

More photographs are available in Flickr.

• SHIPS 2011: Registration
• SHIPS 2011: Inaugural Address
• SHIPS 2011: Naval Philatelic Exhibition
• SHIPS 2011: Marine Industry Stalls & Products Display

SLINEX 2011, the joint naval exercise between Sri Lanka Navy and Indian Navy commenced off Trincomalee on September 19, 2011 and concluded on September 23, 2011. This joint naval exercise signifies the goodwill, friendly relations and mutual co-operation that exist between India and Sri Lanka.

Some interesting features of SLINEX 2011 are:

• The 05 day exercise was conducted in four phases covering a Harbour Training Programme at Trincomalee and a Sea Training Programme in the seas off the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka to enhance interoperability between the two Navies.
• Indian Navy, under the command of Rear Admiral HCS Bisht, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) was represented by a Destroyer (INS Ranvijay D 55), a Frigate (INS Shivalik F 47), a Missile Corvette INS Khanjar P 47), a Landing Ship Tank (INS Gharial L 23) and two Fast Attack Crafts along with a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
• Sri Lanka Navy was represented by two Offshore Patrol Vessels, a Fast Missile Vessel, two Fast Gun Boats and six Fast Attack Crafts.
• The following activities were part of the exercise:
  • Seamanship maneuvers – Station Keeping By Distance Line (SKBDL) and Jackstay
  • Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO)
  • Visit Board Search and Seize (VBSS)
  • Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations
  • Close Range Anti-Air Firing (CRAA)
  • Replenishment at Sea (RAS)
  • Asymmetric Threat Exercise
  • Helo Ops
• Officers and men from the participating Indian Navy ships also visited the ‘Anbu Illam’ and ‘Sivananda Thapobanam’ orphanages in Trincomalee. They interacted with the children at these orphanages and offered community service by painting of dormitories/beds, plumbing work including handing over of two months supply of provisions, medicines and other essential commodities.

Here is a photograph from the website of Sri Lanka Navy.

For more details log on to MOD, Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Navy.

A Roundtable Discussion on ‘Indian Ocean – Strategic Interests’ by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and National Maritime Foundation (NMF) was held at Chennai on September 19, 2011.

The discussion was attended by academic community including college students, journalists, diplomats from U.S, Australia, Sri Lanka, serving and retired officers from the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the Merchant Navy.

Here I bring out some interesting information and discussions pertaining to Indian Ocean:

• If Indian Ocean can not be treated as India’s Ocean, the same logic applies to China as well (South China Sea can not be treated as China’s Sea).
• India Chairs the Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) for the years 2011 and 2012 along with Australia as the Vice Chair during this period.
• IOR-ARC has three working groups:
  • Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI)
  • Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum (IORBF)
  • Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG)
• U.S interests
  • to ensure smooth flow of global energy supply and trade through safe Sea Lanes Of Communication (SLOC).
  • conduct regular naval exercises with India (like Exercise Malabar).
• Some of the Indian Ocean Littoral States (Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Yemen)
  • are still under developed economies.
  • affected by human trafficking, drug trafficking, sea borne terrorism/piracy.
  • likely to be affected by climate change like rising sea level.
  • are facing conflict of interests in sharing marine resources like sea food, minerals etc.,
  • have territorial disputes, hostile attitude, lack of trust, misunderstanding etc.,.
• Indian Ocean Littoral States must
  • develop common areas of interest in ocean bed exploration, hydrographic survey, disaster management and information sharing, shipping, coastal infrastructure, fisheries, weather forecasting, education, tourism, agriculture etc.,
  • strengthen bilateral and multilateral relationship (between navies like ‘Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise – SIMBEX’, Sri Lanka -India joint naval exercise SLINEX)

An audio – visual presentation on ‘Indian Ocean – Strategic Interests’ was given by Commodore (Retd) S. Shekhar, Indian Navy, Regional Director, National Maritime Foundation, Chennai Chapter. Here are the highlights of his presentation (his personal views, not that of NMF):

• India’s Maritime Domain policy documents are available in the form of
  • Indian Navy Vision Document published by Integrated Headquarters of Defence in May 2006.
  • India’s Maritime Military strategy by Integrated Headquarters of Defence in May 2007.
  • National Maritime Agenda published by the Ministry of Shipping in January 2011.
• India’s national interest pertains to: Security, Economic prosperity, Global role in the Indian Ocean.
• Security
  • Determinants of security by analysing the threats: as Perception, Geographics (Terrestrial, Maritime, Cyber), Response.
  • Responsibilities: protection of open seas by the Indian Navy; protection of coastal waters the Indian Coast Guard; protection of shore line by the Marine Police.
  • India has to address maritime concerns by assuming major power roles, safe guarding Indian Ocean and by understanding neighbourhood dynamics.
  • Areas needing attention: development of effective HUMINT (human intelligence) and ELINT (electronic intelligence), Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking, Interception, Interdiction, Archival aspects.
• Economy
  • Economic prosperity can be achieved by GDP growth by focusing on Natural resources, Market access, Technology acquisition.
  • Security needs of economics
    • India’s total trade volume with South-East, East Asian economies is larger than the trade volume with the European Union or the U.S.A.
    • Look East strategy: India has to safe guard trade and energy supply routes through Malacca and Singapore Straits in the Indian Ocean.
  • Economic responsibilities: Indian Ocean centric strategy formulation by taking inputs from Think Tanks, Industry bodies and implementation by coordination and by making effective use of the media.
  • Areas needing attention: Ship building, Ship repair, Development of Human Resources in the maritime domain, Sea food processing, Marine diversity preservation, Maritime disaster – prediction, protection, rehabilitation and piracy at sea.    
• Maritime Domain Action must focus on
  • Strengthening IOR – ARC.
  • Strengthening Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).
  • Conducting seminars/conferences like Indian Maritime Technology Conference (IMTC) of January 2011 at Chennai and Ship Building Conference (Strategies, Human Resources, Infrastructure, Processes, Shipyard productivity – SHIPS 2011) to be held on 27 and 28 September 2011 at Kochi.
• Global role for India
  • To safe guard SLOC by increasing the presence of the Indian Navy and reducing the presence of the U.S Navy in the Indian Ocean.
  • Areas needing attention: Closely link national strategy with maritime strategy; Strengthen maritime aspects of Look East policy; Bring in maritime awareness into the national mainstream; monitor the implementation of IOC – ARC decisions by all member states.

Some interesting interaction from the audience:

• Piracy at sea:
  • As the piracy at sea is increasing with the demand for huge amounts as ransom, the insurance rates are going up for movement of cargo through sea lanes.
  • What is being done collectively to overcome this ?
  • As a short term effective method, piracy at sea has to be stopped by using Naval Forces.
• China’s String of Pearls in the Indian Ocean Region: China is yet to develop credible presence in ports of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Coco Islands etc.,
• Strength of Indian Navy:
  • Are old warships being phased out, are replaced with new warships ?
  • Now private shipyards are also engaged to build warships to cater the growth of the Indian Navy.

Here are some photographs

The first ever Maritime Achievement Award was presented to Commander Dilip Donde of the Indian Navy, in New Delhi on September 16, 2011 by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju.

This award was presented during the felicitation function to honor Commander Dilip Donde, the first Indian Sailor to successfully complete a solo circum-navigation of the globe.

• Commander Dilip Donde commenced his solo circumnavigation voyage in INSV Mhadei from Mumbai on August 19, 2009.
• During the solo circum-navigation, he unfurled the national flag on his 56 feet yacht INSV Mhadei, on January 26, 2010 (60th Republic day of India) at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands.
• Returned to Mumbai and completed the solo circum-navigation of the globe on May 22, 2010 in the presence of Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma.

Here is the photograph released by the Press Information Bureau.

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju presenting the award. Vice Admiral (Retd) Pradeep Kaushiva – Director NMF, Vice Admiral (Retd) MP Awati, Admiral (Retd) Arun Prakash – Chairman NMF and Admiral (Retd) V.S. Shekhawat are also seen.

We are aware that Ministry of Shipping, Government of India has launched a ten year growth oriented Maritime Agenda: 2010 – 2020 on January 13, 2011.

As a follow up to this agenda, within ten days of the release of this agenda, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Southern Region in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), Chennai Chapter conducted the first ever India Maritime Technology Conference (IMTC 2011), at Chennai on 21 and 22 January 2011. The conference brought together most of the experts from the maritime domain on a single platform to help in translating the policy agenda into a structured, systematic, time bound action plan.

Now CII and NMF are getting ready to host SHIPS 2011 (Strategies, Human Resources, Infrastructure, Processes and Security) Conference with the theme ‘Build Ships – Build India’.

• When ?
  • on 27 and 28 September, 2011.
• Where ?
  • at Kochi, Kerala.
• What ?
  • Sessions – on ship building strategies, best practices/procedures, cadre building, support to indigenous industry, infrastructure development, security and so on.
  • International Exposition – on ship building, repair, marine systems/equipment, marine surveillance and security systems.
• For Whom ?
  • Policy makers and Regulators
  • Ship owners
  • Ship building yards
  • Ship repairers
  • Manufacturers of Shipyard plant and machinery
  • Maritime Systems and Equipment manufacturers
  • Infrastructure developers
  • Maritime training institutions
  • Classification societies
  • Financial Institutions connected with the shipping industry
  • Chambers of commerce
  • Human Resource professionals
  • Security experts

The coordinators of this conference are:

• Gp Capt (Retd) L V Mohandas – Head IT & Internal Security, Confederation of Indian Industry, Southern Region Headquarters, Chennai.
• Commodore (Retd) S Shekhar, Indian Navy: Regional Director, National Maritime Foundation, Chennai Chapter.

For more details, log on to Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

‘All Faith Memorial Service’ for Martyrs of Uniformed Services of Independent India was jointly conducted by the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), Rotary Club of Madras Central Aadithya and Ethiraj College for Women at Chennai on September 14, 2011.

Some interesting features of the event are:

• was conducted to pay homage to all martyrs of uniformed personnel including the Armed Forces, Para military forces, Police etc., who made supreme sacrifice of their lives for their countrymen.
• was attended by representatives from all walks of life and faith: NCC cadets in uniform, college students, serving and retired members of the Armed Forces, Rotarians, elite of the city including diplomats from US, Russia, Canada and Australia.
• was conducted in the Auditorium of Ethiraj College for Women, Egmore, Chennai.
• five sacred texts namely the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, the Koran, the Guru Granth Sahib and the Zend Avesta were ceremoniously brought inside the auditorium and placed at a specially created Altar.
• eminent representatives of the five faiths then read out appropriate extracts from their respective texts.
• distinguished members representing various organisations thereafter placed wreaths at the Altar.
• collective homage by the whole audience was paid with Army buglers sounding the “Last Post” followed by two minutes’ silence observed in memory of the martyrs of uniformed services of Independent India.

Here are some photographs:

Guard of Honour by NCC cadets to receive the guests.

Col Shivanandan, Head Quarters, ATNKK Area.

Commodore Rajeev Girotra, Naval Officer in Charge, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Priests representing Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Muslim, and Parsi faith at ‘All Faith Memorial Service’.

Some of the distinguished members placing wreaths at the Altar.

Brigadier (Retd) Mrs Durgabai.

Dr Padma Subramaniam.

Group Captain Kekre, Rep Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Tambaram.

Collective homage by the audience.

Seen in picture (first row – from left to right)

Lieut General (Retd) Sundara Rao, Major General (Retd) CT Chari, Brigadier (Retd) Subramaniam, Group Captain Kekre, Rotary District Governor Sampath, SRM University Vice Chancellor Dr Ponnavaikko, U.S Consul General Jennifer Mclntyre, Australian First Secretary Michael Long, Russian Deputy Consul General Sergey Soloviev and Mrs Sati Randhawa.

Last year this service was conducted on December 14, 2010.

Thanks to Commodore (Retd) S.Shekhar, Indian Navy, Regional Director, National Maritime Foundation, Chennai Chapter to organise this excellent event.

Though this post is not related to marine topic, I’m compelled to post this so that customers can be aware of AirTel DTH in India. What AirTel DTH says in their website/newspaper advertisements is not practically followed by AirTel DTH. Here is my bad experience with AirTel DTH.

I wanted to upgrade my AirTel DTH from HD (High Definition) to HD Recorder version. Recorder helps to record a specific program and watch it peacefully later as convenient. This is a very useful feature for me as I can record marine related programs from Discovery, National Geographic, other channels and watch later as convenient.

Installing AirTel DTH:

• January 2009: I installed AirTel DTH SD (Standard Definition) by paying INR 2550.00.
• August 2010: Later upgraded to HD DTH by paying INR 2265.00 (there was no HD Recorder DTH available that time).
• June 02, 2011: After seeing an upgrade offer from the website of AirTel DTH, I contacted them through phone and paid INR 3990.00 through IVR (Interactive Voice Response); I was informed that my DTH would be upgraded to HD Recorder within 2 days.

Here is the website offer (zoomed) to upgrade to HD Recorder

Here are website offer (full page) and newspaper advertisement to upgrade to HD Recorder (click to enlarge)

How I was cheated by AirTel DTH:

June 03, 2011: In the morning, I received a SMS from Airtel DTH that my DTH would be upgraded; in the afternoon, I received a call from the installation team that my HD DTH can not be upgraded and upgrade offer is only available for AirTel DTH SD customers.

Here is the e-mail that I sent immediately to Airtel.

June 04, 2011: The reply received by me from AirTel.

June 09, 2011: As there was no further response from AirTel, here is my first reminder to AirTel.

Instead of replying regarding the progress of installation, same day AirTel wanted my alternate telephone number to speak to me. Even after providing my alternate telephone number, they never spoke to me.

June 13, 2011: Here is my second reminder to AirTel.

June 14, 2011: Here is the reply received by me from AirTel (reply simply denies that there is no such offer from AirTel to upgrade; does not talk about INR 3990.00 paid to them for upgrade)

Same day I replied AirTel regarding the upgrade offer provided by them (no reply has come for this from AirTel till now):

June 15, 2011: Meanwhile, the local installation team gave me the following only option to upgrade.

• I install DTH HD Recorder as a second connection against the payment made by me; later I have the option to surrender the DTH SD (first connection) as not required.

I agreed for the same. HD Recorder DTH was installed in the morning on June 15, 2011. I was told by the installation engineer that the activation of the HD Recorder would be done within few hours. In anticipation, I asked the installation engineer to disconnect my SD DTH and he promptly disconnected also.

As the HD Recorder DTH was not activated even by 1900 hours (on June 15), I called up the installation team to find out why there is delay in activating my HD Recorder DTH.

• The installation team informed me that I have to recharge my DTH account with INR 999.00 as activation charges to activate my HD Recorder DTH.
• Around 1930 hours, I rushed to the nearest AirTel dealer, purchased an Activation Kit for INR 999.00; recharged my DTH account.
• Even after making additional payment, the whole night the recorder was not activated.

June 16, 2011:

• Only by 1000 hours, the HD Recorder DTH was activated.
• Same day I informed AirTel DTH Customer Care to deactivate my first connection (SD DTH Recorder); till deactivation, AirTel DTH would be debiting charges for my first connection also on daily basis.

June 20, 2011: My first connection SD DTH was taken by Airtel team.

June 22, 2011: Officially my first connection (SD DTH) was deactivated (money debited from my DTH was stopped for the first connection).

So the customers have to be very careful in dealing with AirTel DTH. Blindly do not believe their advertisements.

Indian Coast Guard came into existence on February 01, 1977.  Since then Coast Guard officers are getting trained at Indian Naval Academy. Now the foundation stone for Indian Coast Guard Academy (ICGA) at Azhikkal, Kerala was laid by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony on May 28, 2011. It is located 20 km south of Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala.

It is expected to take three and half years for the ICGA to be ready to commence training activities.

Here is the press release dated May 28, 2011 from the Indian Navy:

A historic milestone in the growth of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was achieved today when the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony laid the foundation stone of the first ever Indian Coast Guard Academy (ICGA) at Azhikkal. ICGA will be built at the 164 acre campus, on the banks of Valapattanam estuary overlooking the Arabian Sea in Kannur district of Kerala. Pertinently, the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala is also situated 20 Km north of the ICGA site thus making the famed backwaters in the region, the training hub for Indian maritime services.

Government of India accorded approval for an Academy for the ICG in 2009, as part of a series of resolute steps to substantially enhance the capabilities of the ICG in the wake of Mumbai terrorist attack of 2008. The futuristic Academy when commissioned in an expected timeframe of about three and half years, will be able to train up to 500 trainees, and will also cater for personnel from friendly foreign countries, Marine Police and the Navy in disciplines such as Search and Rescue, Marine Oil Spill Response, Maritime Law, Fisheries, and Boarding & Rummaging.

Addressing the large gathering assembled to witness the historic occasion, Shri Antony, underscored the importance, Government of India accords coastal security in view of the asymmetric threats from the sea. He also said that the Indian Coast Guard is in the process of consolidating manpower and assets to face anti national elements robustly. Shri Antony also urged the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard to never let their guard down, reminding the audience that nations which have ignored maritime security have done so only at their own peril. Earlier Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, Director General Indian Coast Guard while welcoming the gathering, said that with the setting up of ICGA, the country joins the select group of nations with their own Coast Guard Academy.

The Industries Minister of Kerala, Shri PK Kunjalikutty, eminent people’s representatives of the region, and the former Industries Minister of Kerala Shri Elamaram Karim spoke on the occasion.

Here is a photograph from the Indian Navy.

Defence Minister Shri AK Antony after laying the foundation stone of ICG Academy Azhikkal, Kerala. Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, DG, Indian Coast Guard, and IG SPS Basra, Commander CG Region West and eminent people’s representatives from Kerala are also seen.

PNS Mehran, the nerve centre of Pakistan’s Naval Air Arm was attacked with an element of surprise by terrorists on the night of May 22, 2011. It took more than 17 hours for the Pakistani security forces to overcome the terrorist attack and to regain control. PNS Mehran is an integrated aviation facility that provides operation, maintenance, training to the Naval Air Arm.

The terrorist attack

• Four to six terrorists (in the age group of 20 to 25) armed with heavy weapons attacked PNS Mehran base.
• The weapons used by terrorists include Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPG) and LMG rifles.
• Two of the maritime surveillance aircrafts P3C Orion (supplied by U.S) were destroyed in the attack; however the other aircrafts like Sea-kings, Alouette and Chinese-made Z9EC helicopters, Fokker and Atlantic aircrafts were saved from damage.
• Two terrorists were killed; one terrorist with his suicide jacket blew himself inside the building; two terrorists escaped; no terrorist was captured alive.
• 17 foreigners inside the base (11 Chinese engineers and 6 American maintenance contractors) were safely rescued.
• 10 soldiers lost their lives and 15 troops were injured.

About PNS Mehran:

• First Naval Air Station of Pakistan Navy (commissioned on September 26, 1975) located in Karachi 10 KM from Quaid-e-Azam International Airport.
• One of the following units operating Commander Naval Aviation (COMNAV), the head of Naval Air Arm
  • Commander Air (Cdr Air) with following squadrons
    • P3C Squadron (28 Sqn)
    • Atlantic Squadron (29 Sqn)
    • Fokker Squadron (27 Sqn)
    • Seaking Squadron (111 Sqn)
    • Alouette Squadron (333 Sqn)
  • Commander Air Engineering Department (Cdr AED): responsible for the maintenance and technical efficiency of all the aircrafts.
  • Commanding Officer MEHRAN (CO MEH): provides all the logistic and administrative support to the aviation units under COMNAV.
  • Officer Commanding Naval Aviation Training School (OC NATS): responsible for all sort of aviation related training of Naval Air Arm.

View a video clip of Associated Press from You Tube: Pakistani Commandos Control Base After Attack.

Read more from The Nation: Navy retakes airbase after 17-hour battle.

FNS (French Naval Ship) Mistral is now at Singapore to take part in IMDEX Asia 2011 after completing Kochi, India visit (from May 05 to 08, 2011). Russia is very keen to buy/construct this class of ship from France.

The French Landing Helicopter Dock ship Mistral (L9013) can

• Carry out amphibious and air support operations.
• Participate in crisis management.
• Provide command and control support.
• Provide medical support.

IMDEX Asia 2011:

• The biennial, 8th edition of IMDEX Asia is to be held from May 18 to 20, 2011 at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore.
• Asia Pacific’s only international exhibition on maritime defence with active support from the Republic of Singapore Navy.
• This exhibition is expected
  • to bring together more than 150 of the world’s leading maritime defence companies.
  • to showcase the latest maritime defence technologies and developments in 7 country pavilions.
  • to be exhibited in an area of over 120,000 sqm of indoor space.
• To be represented by the warships from Australia, France, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, UK, USA.

Indian Express reports that India is expected to invest USD 46.96 billion in the next 20 years to modernize the Indian Navy. It is high time for India to build Mistral type multipurpose helicopter carrier.

Here is a graphical presentation of French Landing Helicopter Dock Mistral (L9013) from Marine Nationale, France.

For more details on exhibition, log on to IMDEX Asia 2011.

Xian MA60 Aircraft of Merpati Nusantara Airlines of Indonesia crashed into the sea near the Kaimana Airport (KNG), West Papua on May 07, 2011. The MA60 turboprop aircrafts are manufactured by Xian Aircraft Industry (Group) Company Ltd of China.

Some tragic information on Xian MA 60 air crash available are:

• The aircraft (Flight 8968, en route from Sorong) was cleared to approach the KNG’s runway.
• Weather was reported to be bad with heavy rain and strong winds at the time of approach.
• The aircraft crashed into the sea just 500 meters from the runway of KNG.
• The accident took place approximately 1400 hours local time, while the aircraft was circling for around 15 minutes .
• None of the 27 people (including crew) onboard survived.
• Most of the bodies of the victims were recovered and search is going on to recover the remaining victims.
• On May 08, 2011 the flight data recorder of the aircraft was recovered by police divers in good condition.
• The aircraft had operated just 615 hours and 764 cycles.

The same type of China-made Xian MA 60 aircrafts of Merpati Nusantara Airlines have met with three accidents since 2010. Now the public is speculating whether the Chinese-made Xian MA60 turboprop aircraft was of substandard build quality. National Police has agreed to assist the investigation of this accident by National Committee on Transportation Safety (KNKT) of Indonesia.

Read more from

• ATW Online: Merpati MA60 crashes in Indonesia, killing 27.
• The Jakarta Post: Quality of Chinese-made plane questioned after crash.

Global terror chief Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Navy SEALs of Special Operation Forces on May 01, 2011 in Pakistan. His body was buried at sea.

Reasons for burying Osama Bin Laden’s body at sea are:

• No country was willing to accept Osama Bin Laden’s body.
• The burial in land was avoided to avoid setting up of a tomb/shrine/memorial for Osama Bin Laden by his supporters.

The body was taken to aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) of U.S. 5th Fleet and buried in the North Arabian Sea after performing religious rites within 24 hours of the terrorist leader’s death.

Read more from U.S. Navy: Bin Laden Buried at Sea.

Update: May 04, 2011

Burial at Sea is considered as an honour by the mariners. But his sympathizers feel it different. Read more from Express India: Osama’s Sea Burial Humiliating, say Scholars.

News media around the world are praising the Navy Seals of US Special Operations Forces (SOF) for eliminating terror chief Osama Bin Laden in a mansion close to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistani.

A small team of SOF carried out a surgical raid of less than 40 minutes by surprise to minimize collateral damage.

Some more interesting features of this operation are:

• The operation was not informed to Pakistan in advance to avoid the risk of failure.
• It was a midnight/late night operation on May 01, 2011.
• Four helicopters with SOF came from Afghanistan.
• Bin Laden was hiding in a 1 million USD mansion that had 12 to 18 feet walls with barbed wire around the mansion (but the mansion had no telephone or internet connection).
• The hide out mansion is located very closer to Pakistan Military Academy.

View a video clip from Fox News Video: U.S. Navy SEALs Raided Bin Laden Compound.

Read more from

• The White House Blog: Osama Bin Laden Dead.
• The White House: Press Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on the Killing of Osama bin Laden.
• Mail Online: Bin Laden is Dead

Update: May 06, 2011

Read more from CIA: The Final Chapter in the Hunt for Bin Ladin