Cochin Shipyard to conduct final sea trial of IAC Vikrant in May

Vessel to be inducted by Navy in August, coinciding with 75th Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

The final sea trial of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), to be christened Vikrant, will be held in May, following which it will be handed over to the Indian Navy, Bejoy Bhaskar, Director (Technical), Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), said on Thursday.

The Navy is expected to induct the vessel in August, coinciding with the 75 th Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. “The shipyard had already apprised the Navy about its willingness to construct a second IAC, in much the same scale as the present one, since we are now in a position to design and deliver such big a vessel. A bigger dock is being readied for it,” he said.

On the journey taken to roll out IAC Vikrant, Mr. Bhaskar said its workforce was 100% Indian, while its engine and a few other key components, which together constitute 40% of the materials used, were imported.

On the delay in readying 23 ferries in the first phase of the Water Metro project, he said the shipyard was trying its best to hand over the first lot of five vessels in May. “It was the first time globally that these many electric-diesel hybrid vessels were being built. There were initial hiccups in seamlessly integrating the two sources of power. In addition, components had to be sourced from as many as 23 major foreign suppliers, in keeping with a host of multiple specifications. In addition, a batch of aluminium that was sourced from Australia for the hull had to be recalled by the supplier and a fresh batch was brought in,” he added. 

He attributed the dependance on foreign firms, on indigenisation being a time consuming affair for such hybrid vessels. The pandemic situation, wherein travel between countries was curbed, aggravated the delay. Synchronisation issues during trial run of the first vessel were rectified and this would help roll out the other four in May, he added.

Taking mediapersons through the shipyard’s 50-year history, Mr. Bhaskar said it was incorporated as a company in 1972. It has hence built and repaired some of the largest ships in India, including the first IAC. A total of 47 ships were exported. Over the years, European quality standards were emulated in ship building. A new dry dock, which can handle even 70,000 tonne aircraft carriers, is being readied, while the yard got order for a 12,000 m3 dredger — one among the biggest to be built, from the Dredging Corporation of India. It also made its mark in inland water transport and manufacture of standardised fishing vessels.

The yard’s net worth is estimated at ₹3,978 crore, while its profit after tax is ₹610 crore, both 2020-21 figures.