MoU with state govt boosts naval self-reliance and defence manufacturing ecosystem.

Bharat Forge to Set Up India’s First Private Marine Gas Turbine Facility in Andhra Pradesh.

Bharat Forge has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh Government to establish India’s first private-sector marine gas turbine repair, overhaul and development facility in Visakhapatnam. The project will be developed on nearly 80 acres within the state’s defence manufacturing corridor and will support the Indian Navy by strengthening domestic propulsion maintenance capabilities and reducing reliance on overseas supply chains. The agreement was signed at the Aerospace and Defence Investment Conclave in Puttaparthy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The facility, to be set up through Bharat Forge’s aerospace division, will be located near the Naval Dockyard, INS Eksila and the Eastern Naval Command. The project will be rolled out in phases. The first phase will include a marine gas turbine repair and overhaul complex, component manufacturing units, a non-destructive evaluation lab and a 72-hour turnaround capability. The second phase will focus on turbine development, assembly, hot-test facilities and qualification of an indigenous marine gas turbine. The facility is expected to generate around 750 direct and indirect jobs and also serve as a regional maintenance hub for friendly navies.