Major ports asked to use only tug boats made in India

The Ministry of Shipping has directed all major ports in the country to procure or charter tug boats which are only made in India.

All procurements being done by the ports would now need to be carried out as per the revised Make in India order.

The Ministry is aiming to promote the Indian ship-building industry and also have discussion with some leading countries for Make in India ship-building, according to a press release here on Saturday.

The Union Minister of State for Shipping (independent charge) Mansukh Mandaviya said the government is taking action to revive old shipyards and promote ship-building in the country. The government would try to create an ecosystem to build, repair, recycle and flagging in the nation, the release said.

Procurement/chartering of port crafts would need to be aligned with the revised Make in India order.

It is proposed to set up a standing specifications committee under Managing Director of Indian Ports Association and comprising representatives from Cochin Ship Yard Limited (CSL), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and Director General of Shipping.

The specifications committee would shortlist around five variants/types of tugs and prepare a approved standardised tug design and specifications (ASTDS).

The ASTDS would outline specifications, general arrangements, basic calculations, basic structural drawings, key system drawings and other construction standards among others. The standards would be vetted by the committee and, thereafter, certified in-principle by IRS and published by the Indian Ports Association on its website.

The Ministry would also provide some window to major ports so that construction time would be used. Recently, the government-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited bagged an order for two automated vessels from the Norwegian government.

The vessels would be the first-of-its-kind unmanned ones. Various decisions taken by the Ministry of Shipping would turn around the ship-building sector in the near future, the release said.