Pipavav Defence News

Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Co Ltd (PDOC) has announced a joint venture (JV) with Russia's JSC Ship Repairing Centre Zvyozdochka for medium refits and life certification of eight EKM 877 submarines in the country. This positions PDOC nicely for overhauling India's nine Russian-origin kilo-class submarines, and several identical submarines operated by other regional navies. Pipavav, in which Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group is in the process of acquiring a majority stake, proposes to execute the programme under a joint venture with 51 per cent stake, consistent with MoD regulations, a company statement said. This would be the first time the work for refit of submarines was being considered for the private sector in the country.

The Indian Navy will soon invite tenders for building six conventional submarines after a high-level committee of the Defence Ministry submitted its report identifying shipyards capable of executing the about $10.1 billion project. Besides the state-run shipyards, private players like Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Company, in which Anil Ambani-led ADAG has announced its decision to pick up a controlling stake, are eyeing the mega deal. Defence sources had earlier said both L&T and Pipavav are strong contenders, besides the state-run Mazagon Dockyard Limited (MDL). According to defence sources, the Committee has visited all the shipyards in the country and has submitted its report recently. It is under consideration of the Defence Ministry.

India's top government committee has selected five Indian shipyards to compete for an Rs 64,000-crore ($10.1 Bln) project to build high-tech submarines for the navy. The Indian Navy will soon invite tenders for building six conventional submarines after a high-level committee of the Defence Ministry submitted its report identifying shipyards capable of executing the project. “The Committee has visited all the shipyards in the country and has submitted its report recently. It is under consideration of the Defence Ministry,” defence sources said. Six advanced submarines will be built under project P-75I. Besides the state-run shipyards…

GAIL India will offer foreign shipbuilders five years to make liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers in India, double the time allowed to deliver ships from their home shipyards, reports Economic Times. Report says that the company is insisting foreign shipbuilders to build in India at least a third of the 11 LNG carriers. It also plans to charter carriers from one or more shipping lines. GAIL hopes this concession will attract foreign firms to locally manufacture ships proposed to be chartered by the Indian gas company. Earlier in February, GAIL had floated a tender for the purpose in February but scrapped following no response from foreign companies.

Gail India Ltd has scrapped a tender that would have led to the construction of three massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers at Indian shipyards. After postponing tender deadline thrice and also one year later, state-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd has not found any bidder for its USD 7 billion tender to hire newly-built LNG ships to ferry gas from the US. GAIL's tender to hire nine newly-built liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers drew a blank due to the government's condition of building a third of the ships in India, officials said. "There was no response from ship owners and GAIL decided not to extend the tender beyond 17 February. The tender has lapsed," a company spokesperson said.

Golden Ocean Group agrees to buy two 'resale' ice class Panamax vessel built at India's Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Company. The company will  take delivery of the vessels ex yard, the first vessel at the start of June and the second vessel during second half of 2013. In connection with the purchase the seller has provided a 30% seller's credit towards Golden Ocean for each vessel. The seller's credit will be repaid over three years in equal installments every January, but the first installment is at earliest 6 months after delivery of the vessel. The vessels will be named Golden Pearl and Golden Diamond. The vessels have not been part of the Company's construction program at the yard and are bought from third parties.

After Mazagon Dock Ltd, two more defence ministry-controlled shipyards are looking for private partners to build warships to meet rising demand from the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, according to a report on www.LiveMint.com. Hindustan Shipyard Ltd and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd reportedly have received expressions of interest from 8-10 private shipyards in response to tenders floated last month. While separately inviting expressions of interest for joint venture partnerships last month, the two shipbuilders said in similarly worded advertisements on their websites that they were “looking at a joint collaborative strategy to meet the challenging timelines in order to liquidate the existing order book as well as expected orders from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard…