Maharatna SAIL supplied entire requirement of special steel for newly commissioned INS Arnala
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): The requirement of special steel for India Navy's ship INS Arnala was wholly supplied by Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), taking a step forward towards the country's self-reliance in the defence sector and import substitution, the Ministry of Steel said in an official statement on Thursday.
'SAIL supplied the entire requirement of special steel for India's first indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), 'INS Arnala', which was commissioned into the Indian Navy on June 18, 2025,' the ministry's statement read.
The Maharatna PSU also catered to the entire requirement of special steel for the other seven ASW-SWC corvettes being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
'Partnering India's march towards defence indigenisation, SAIL has supplied the entire special steel for this project. This marks yet another impressive milestone in SAIL's journey to support India's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative and help the nation lessen its import dependency,' the statement added.
The Steel ministry also highlighted that SAIL has supplied the special steel for building the Navy's ships before too, including for INS Vikrant, INS Vindyagiri, INS Nilgiri, INS Surat, among other notable projects.
On Wednesday, India's first indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), INS Arnala, was commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan presiding over the ceremony.
'INS Arnala - the pioneering Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft - proudly joins the Indian Navy today, 18 June 2025, at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam,' the Indian Navy said in a statement earlier.
Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, and delivered on May 8 at L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli under a Public-Private Partnership, INS Arnala is the first in a series of eight ASW-SWCs being developed to enhance India's coastal defence, a prior statement from the Minister of Defence said.
The 77-metre-long vessel, named after the historic Arnala fort off Vasai, Maharashtra, is equipped with advanced underwater surveillance systems, mine-laying capabilities, and is designed for operations in shallow waters. It is the largest Indian Naval warship propelled by a diesel engine-waterjet combination.
According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the ship has been designed for underwater surveillance, search and rescue operations, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).
Notably, INS Arnala was delivered to the Navy during Operation Sindoor, when tensions were heightened, which in turn demonstrates the Navy's operational readiness and indigenous production capacity. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Time to polish our public sector ratnas: Creating an Indian sovereign wealth fund to recast jewels
In May 2020, as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package, the Indian government unveiled a bold new Public Sector Enterprise (PSE) policy. Building on that announcement, the Union Budget of February 1, 2021, laid out a detailed blueprint, categorising sectors into two: Strategic sectors, where the government would retain only a bare minimum presence, and by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Non-strategic sectors, where all Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) would be privatised or closed. This marked a tectonic shift in India's approach to public sector enterprises- a clear intent to significantly reduce the government's footprint in business. While implementation is underway, progress has been uneven. This note proposes a bold, agile framework to fast-track the reform. Traditional Routes of Privatisation: Limited Success For privatisation India has predominantly relied on strategic sales since the 1991 liberalisation era divesting 50% or more equity along with management control. However, another way of privatisation is public market offerings i.e. selling shares of CPSEs to retail and institutional investors. This method was famously deployed by Margaret Thatcher's UK government during its privatisation drive of British Telecom, British Gas, and British Steel. Live Events In India, the strategic sale model has yielded mixed results. The successful sale of Air India came after years of delays. Meanwhile, marquee targets such as BPCL, Shipping Corporation, and IDBI Bank have faced hurdles. BPCL's disinvestment , announced in 2019, was shelved in 2022 as bidders withdrew, the government decided to hit pause to the disinvestment: a prudent decision prioritising value over timelines. Strategic sales are often complex, politically sensitive, and time-consuming, limiting their effectiveness as the default path to reform. Learning from Singapore: The Temasek Model The third approach is Singapore's model: move the ownership to an SWF, then sell publicly. Singapore faced a similar challenge as India in the 1970s, dozens of government-owned enterprises across critical sectors, struggling under state management. The solution was to create Temasek Holdings, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Singapore which was established in 1974 as a professionally run, wholly government-owned investment company. Temasek operates with full autonomy, managed by an independent board of professionals and free from political interference. It holds and grows equity in state-owned enterprises on commercial principles. Many of these entities are now listed and globally competitive, contributing to a portfolio exceeding US$301 billion. While India is not Singapore, the core principle of insulating commercial decisions from political control is powerful and relevant. A Case for India's Temasek: Transforming NIIF India has attempted some separation by routing disinvestment decisions through DIPAM. However, this still functions within the government's bureaucratic framework. What India truly needs is a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) that can own and manage public assets commercially. This is where the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) enters: India's quasi-sovereign investment vehicle, created in 2015, where the government holds a 49% stake. With assets of over $5 billion across infrastructure, growth equity, and fund-of-funds, NIIF already has the structure to become India's Temasek. Even Temasek saw potential in NIIF, investing $400 million in 2018. It now needs a wider mandate that would allow it to become the Indian Temasek. The Model: Ownership Transfer, Commercial Management The government could begin by transferring its stakes in select PSEs to NIIF, receiving fund units in exchange. The state would retain economic interest while stepping away from operational control. These PSEs would then be run under professional governance standards, free from day-to-day political interference. Over time, NIIF could gradually dilute its stake in these enterprises in the market when conditions are favourable creating a steady revenue stream for the government, rather than volatile, one-time windfalls. The government could begin with minority stakes transfer, building credibility and demonstrating value creation, and eventually reduce its holding below 51% as per Atmanirbhar Bharat package. A Pragmatic, Politically Smart Path This stealth-privatisation model i.e. first shifting ownership to NIIF, then progressively privatizing, shields the process from political turbulence while ensuring the commercial interests of the state are protected. It provides PSEs with the time, autonomy, and resources to restructure and become market-ready, aligning with the 2021 policy objective of one strategic PSE per sector. As Thomas Jefferson aptly put it, 'That government is best which governs least.' It's time we let our Ratna shine with the polish of professionalism, and free them from the weight of the state's hand.
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Economic Times
Time to polish our public sector ratnas: Creating an Indian sovereign wealth fund to recast jewels
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Traditional Routes of Privatisation: Limited Success Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Learning from Singapore: The Temasek Model A Case for India's Temasek: Transforming NIIF Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Model: Ownership Transfer, Commercial Management A Pragmatic, Politically Smart Path (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of .) In May 2020, as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package, the Indian government unveiled a bold new Public Sector Enterprise (PSE) policy. Building on that announcement, the Union Budget of February 1, 2021, laid out a detailed blueprint, categorising sectors into two:Strategic sectors, where the government would retain only a bare minimum presence, andNon-strategic sectors, where all Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) would be privatised or marked a tectonic shift in India's approach to public sector enterprises- a clear intent to significantly reduce the government's footprint in business. While implementation is underway, progress has been uneven. This note proposes a bold, agile framework to fast-track the privatisation India has predominantly relied on strategic sales since the 1991 liberalisation era divesting 50% or more equity along with management control. However, another way of privatisation is public market offerings i.e. selling shares of CPSEs to retail and institutional investors. This method was famously deployed by Margaret Thatcher's UK government during its privatisation drive of British Telecom, British Gas, and British India, the strategic sale model has yielded mixed results. The successful sale of Air India came after years of delays. Meanwhile, marquee targets such as BPCL, Shipping Corporation, and IDBI Bank have faced hurdles. BPCL's disinvestment , announced in 2019, was shelved in 2022 as bidders withdrew, the government decided to hit pause to the disinvestment: a prudent decision prioritising value over sales are often complex, politically sensitive, and time-consuming, limiting their effectiveness as the default path to third approach is Singapore's model: move the ownership to an SWF, then sell faced a similar challenge as India in the 1970s, dozens of government-owned enterprises across critical sectors, struggling under state management. The solution was to create Temasek Holdings, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Singapore which was established in 1974 as a professionally run, wholly government-owned investment company. Temasek operates with full autonomy, managed by an independent board of professionals and free from political interference. It holds and grows equity in state-owned enterprises on commercial principles. Many of these entities are now listed and globally competitive, contributing to a portfolio exceeding US$301 India is not Singapore, the core principle of insulating commercial decisions from political control is powerful and has attempted some separation by routing disinvestment decisions through DIPAM. However, this still functions within the government's bureaucratic framework. What India truly needs is a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) that can own and manage public assets is where the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) enters: India's quasi-sovereign investment vehicle, created in 2015, where the government holds a 49% stake. With assets of over $5 billion across infrastructure, growth equity, and fund-of-funds, NIIF already has the structure to become India's Temasek saw potential in NIIF, investing $400 million in 2018. It now needs a wider mandate that would allow it to become the Indian government could begin by transferring its stakes in select PSEs to NIIF, receiving fund units in exchange. The state would retain economic interest while stepping away from operational PSEs would then be run under professional governance standards, free from day-to-day political interference. Over time, NIIF could gradually dilute its stake in these enterprises in the market when conditions are favourable creating a steady revenue stream for the government, rather than volatile, one-time government could begin with minority stakes transfer, building credibility and demonstrating value creation, and eventually reduce its holding below 51% as per Atmanirbhar Bharat stealth-privatisation model i.e. first shifting ownership to NIIF, then progressively privatizing, shields the process from political turbulence while ensuring the commercial interests of the state are provides PSEs with the time, autonomy, and resources to restructure and become market-ready, aligning with the 2021 policy objective of one strategic PSE per Thomas Jefferson aptly put it, 'That government is best which governs least.' It's time we let our Ratna shine with the polish of professionalism, and free them from the weight of the state's hand.
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
Indian students opting for Australia as immigration policies tighten in U.S., U.K.: Experts
Restrictive policies of countries like the United States and the United Kingdom concerning international students and post-study work might push more Indian students towards Australia, experts said. Notably, India ranks second in international student enrolments to Australian universities between 2003 and 2024, according to data from the Australian government's Education Department. With a record 139,038 students, India made up 16% of the total number of foreign student enrolments in Australian universities in 2024, second only to China. 'Australia has remained a key destination for aspiring Indian students for the last many years. Currently, over 1,30,000 Indian students are enrolled in Australian universities, marking a steady year-on-year increase for the last five years. I see that in an upwards trajectory,' Vik Singh, Commissioner of Education at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), told The Hindu. Mr. Singh highlighted that factors like restrictive policies in other countries, coupled with high global rankings of Australian universities, safety of students, and a liberal post-study work system have also made Australia a more appealing choice to Indian students than other destinations. 'Indians, in particular, can leverage a more generous post-study work system in Australia than most other international students. Courtesy of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, Indian students can stay for a maximum of four years after completing their degree to work in Australia. So, academic excellence, liberal post-study work options, and a warm and welcoming environment put together can explain the increasing number of Indian students opting to go to Australia,' Mr. Singh said. The Austrade Commissioner also underlined that Australia is one of the first countries to have branch campuses in India. 'We have two universities, the University of Wollongong and Deakin University, operating with branch campuses in India. We have more branch campuses coming up in Mumbai and Delhi. These would greatly benefit students who wish to leverage a degree from Australia without leaving the country,' Mr. Singh said. He added that there are about 430-odd partnerships between Australian and Indian institutions, offering students the opportunity to get a degree from a quality Indian institution as well as a quality Australian institution. According to data from the Australian government, the number of Indian students enrolling to Australian universities peaked in 2024, following a steady increase from 2015. These observations assume importance in light of the United States' recent decision to halt student visa appointments and check social media accounts of applicants for 'anti-American' sentiments. The Donald Trump government has also cracked down on existing student visa-holders and slashed funding for universities, leading to uncertainty among Indian students aspiring to pursue an education in the United States. On the other hand, Britain's Labour government, in a white paper released on May 12 this year, said that it will strengthen the requirements for sponsoring institutions to recruit international students, to prevent misuse of student visas. The policy paper, titled 'Restoring control over the immigration system', also said that the U.K. government will 'reduce the ability for Graduates to remain in the U.K. after their studies to a period of 18 months after their graduation'. Earlier, international students could stay in the United Kingdom for two years (or three years for PhD students) after graduation to work or look for jobs. In June, the Australian government organised the 'Festival of Australia' in Kolkata, Coimbatore, Dhaka, and Colombo, to connect aspirants to representatives from Australian universities.
