The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated the newly constructed Submarine Assembly Workshop at, Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), Mumbai, on May 28, 2016.

The Submarine Assembly Workshop in addition to the various infrastructure facilities created under the Mazdock Modernisation Project (MMP) will gear up MDL in meeting the long-term needs of submarine construction for the Navy. The facilities created under MMP boost infrastructure for reducing the time required for production warships and submarines. As a result of such capability enhancement over the last few years, all Indian Naval and Coast Guard ships and submarines are being produced in the country itself.

During the ceremony Parrikar expressed his delight at the induction of the state-of-the-art workshop and said that submarine building in the country was stopped in the year 1993 and has been recently revived by the Scorpene project. He expressed that the skill in the field of submarine construction should not be lost due to lack of orders. He, however, directed that overall level of indigenisation in the next line of submarines must be substantially higher. He expressed a great sense of pride in the performance of MDL, wherein the production value has improved from Rs. 2,865 crore in the year 2013-14 to Rs. 4,009 crore in the year 2015-16 (approximately 40 per cent). He hoped that the four defence PSUs would undertake projects for export of ships by setting up export cells. He also urged the yard and its officials to consistently embrace new technology for improving the future growth of the country.

With the state-of-the-art workshop built at a cost of approximately Rs. 153 crore, MDL has acquired unique capability of second construction/assembly line for submarines.