The submarine, now stationed at Naval Base at Vishakapatnam, will be used to carry nuclear missiles inside deep waters with about 500 persons working on board. Cutting edge technology has been used to build the ATV.
Owner of Mysore-based Shakti Rubber Industries P N Shivaprasad is the sole manufacturer of ATV’s rubber tiles, and perhaps the only manufacturer in the country. India, so far, has imported submarines from Russia, France, England and US.
Shivaprasad, the entrepreneur who has dabbled in farming, poultry business and agriculture, started his rubber factory in 1984 as an ancillary to Vikrant Tyres and supplied rubber patches to other brands too.
It was in 1992 that Navy officials approached him with a request to make ‘acoustic’ rubber tiles. Shivaprasad prepared the 1X1 ft sample and sent it to them. It took a good 10 years for the project to be assigned to him. With the first order being placed by the Navy in 2002, Shivaprasad was informed about the significance of these tiles, their use and also that two officials would be posted on site to overlook the quality and confidentiality of the entire process by Navy officials. After having supplied 8000 tiles required by ATV alone, Shivaprasad and his 30 local workers are busy making tiles for two more submarines.
Soundproof tiles
These tiles not only protect the submarine from salt water, oil and grease from affecting its body, they also absorb sounds sent out by radars from the enemy camp to detect submarines or any metal object underwater. They do not let out the sounds from inside the submarine either, and can withstand extreme temperatures from - 50 deg Celsius to + 70 deg Celsius.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Shivaprasad said each tile weighs 51 kg and has a life span of nearly 15 years. “We procure raw material from Korea and Japan. I have used local technology to change machinery in my factory to suit the needs of this project. Ever since I began this work, I have not taken up any external orders. I am just glad to be associated with such prestigious work,” he says.