L&T to grab early spotlight at Defexpo with first private sector warship

Coast Guard to commission first offshore patrol vessel built by private sector; 90% of warship orders since 2000 have been 'nominated' to public shipyards

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is presenting Defexpo India 2018, a four-day land and naval systems exposition that will kick off in Chennai on Wednesday, as a display of Indian defence industrial capability. Underscoring that point, the first offshore patrol vessel (OPV) built by a private shipyard will join operational service that morning.

While Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman opens Defexpo at Kancheepuram, south of Chennai, her junior minister, Subhash Bhamre, will commission Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vikram, a 2,140-tonne OPV, at Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T’s) new Kattupalli shipyard, north of the city.

Public sector defence shipyards such as Mazagon