After launching 'Rajdhwaj' -- the last of the series of eight Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPV) -- GRSE chairman and managing director Rear Admiral A K Verma (retd) told reporters, "We are in negotiation with several Latin American, African as well as Asian countries and are hopeful of bagging export orders."
He said, "Currently, we are building an Offshore Patrol Vessel for Mauritius."
The company, which has clocked a turnover of Rs 1600 crore so far this fiscal, aims at a figure of Rs 1,800 crore for the next financial year as it has set a target of bagging orders for about five warships from the Indian Navy, besides foreign contracts.
Verma said bagging more orders would mean the company needs to increase the capacity of its existing dockyards, which can build two big ships and three IPVs at a time.
"Under our current capacity, we can build two large and three small ships at a time. But we have started to expand our capacity and by the end of next financial year (2013-14) we will be doubling our capacity," he said.
The Rajdhwaj IPV, which has been built at the Rajabagan Dockyard, has been fitted with main engines, water jet units, engine control system, and integrated bridge systems, and also 30 mm CRN-91 gun as main armament.
Currently under trial, the IPV would be delivered to the Indian Coast Guard by June this year, Verma said.
The Coast Guard uses IPVs for patrolling, anti-poaching, anti-smuggling, and rescue operations.
