TRIUMPH OF TOGETHERNESS

After delivering India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, Cochin Shipyard is raring to build another

- ANIRUDHA KARINDALAM

She lay in beauty at the Kochi harbour like a bride, basking in glory. India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, she has been the toast of the nation and the talk of the town. Kochi has been her home since February 2009, when the keel was laid at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. She will be called INS Vikrant and commissioned into the Indian Navy this month.

Two weeks ago, on July 28, after many successful sea trials, the shipyard handed over to the Navy the largest warship built in India. The mood at the shipyard, the biggest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India, is buoyant, with men in red and navy blue putting the finishing touches to the aircraft carrier. It is a moment of pride, yet a poignant reminder: thirteen years have passed quickly and the shipyard’s ‘daughter’ will now be ‘married’ to the Indian Navy.

I asked Madhu Nair, the shipyard’s chairman and managing director, how the ‘father of the bride’ felt a few days before the ‘wedding’. He said, looking pleased with himself: “You should have seen the euphoria when she went for her first sea trial.”

The last six years were the most exciting and challenging, too. “Not just the shipyard, the Navy, various stakeholders within the system, came together,” he said. “Yes, there were technological challenges and inter-organisational issues to be sorted out.”

After all, 550 companies—big and small—were involved. Among them were 100 micro, small and medium enterprisess, each having its own work culture and methodology. “We had to iron out so many grey areas,” said Nair. “The kind of project management and networking we did, helped us to improve the speed.”