New Delhi: Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has supplied about 8,000 tonnes of critical-grade steel for the Indian Navy’s newly commissioned advanced frontline frigates, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri. The two warships were commissioned at Visakhapatnam during a ceremony presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
SAIL, the country’s largest public sector steel producer under the Ministry of Steel, partnered with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) to supply critical hot-rolled sheets and plates manufactured at its Bokaro, Bhilai, and Rourkela steel plants.
The company said the development of such specialised grades of steel has reduced dependence on imports, advancing the goals of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’. The Special Plate Plant at Rourkela Steel Plant alone has supplied over 100,000 tonnes of critical-grade steel for defence applications including tanks, warships, and missiles.
SAIL has a long association with India’s naval modernisation programme, having supplied steel for vessels such as INS Vikrant, INS Nilgiri, INS Ajay, INS Nistar, INS Arnala, INS Vindhyagiri, and INS Surat.
BI Bureau
