Kolkata, February 14 The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, a public sector undertaking, began construction on Saturday of two coastal research vessels (CRVs) for the Geological Survey of India (GSI), according to an official statement.
The ceremonial steel cutting, which marked the start of the ship's construction, took place in the presence of GSI Director General Asit Saha and senior officials from GRSE and the Indian Armed Forces.
The research vessels, each measuring 64 meters in length and 13 meters in width, will be capable of conducting offshore geological mapping, mineral exploration (including dredging), ocean environment monitoring and research, the statement said.
"They will have modern, well-equipped scientific laboratories for data processing and sample analysis," it added, noting that these ships will operate within India's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The defence shipyard, which also builds research and survey platforms, is currently building an ocean research vessel for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and an acoustic research ship (ARS) for the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), an establishment under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
GRSE is currently building 12 warships of various classes for the Indian Navy, the statement said.
In addition to the four research platforms, the shipyard is also building eight advanced multi-purpose vessels for a German company and 13 hybrid ferries for the West Bengal government, it added.