Bharat Forge Limited has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to establish India’s
first private-sector Marine Gas Turbine (MGT) facility in Visakhapatnam.
The agreement was signed by Guru Biswal, CEO – Aerospace,
Bharat Forge Limited, and former DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy, in the
presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu
Naidu, and senior officials during the Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing
Conclave in Puttaparthi.
The facility, located near the Naval Dockyard and Eastern
Naval Command, will offer end-to-end MGT repair and overhaul capabilities in
the private sector for the first time. Services will include blade restoration,
rotor balancing, combustor liner repairs, component manufacturing, advanced
testing, and round-the-clock operational support for the Indian Navy.
The project is expected to reduce India’s reliance on overseas
marine propulsion servicing and technology support, while catalysing a broader
naval and aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in Visakhapatnam, covering
precision engineering, metallurgy, advanced materials, and defence-grade
component production.
Bharat Forge will also establish an R&D and testing hub
to support future indigenous marine turbine development programmes. The
investment is anticipated to generate direct and indirect employment and
position Andhra Pradesh as a strategic hub in India’s defence and aerospace
supply chain.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated the project will
strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing and build a globally competitive
aerospace and defence ecosystem. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu
highlighted aerospace and defence as a core pillar of the state’s industrial
strategy, promising world-class infrastructure and fast-track approvals.
Amit Kalyani,
Vice Chairman and Joint Managing Director of Bharat Forge Limited, noted the
project marks a milestone in India’s journey towards sovereign naval propulsion
capabilities and reflects the company’s commitment to defence modernisation.
The announcement aligns with Andhra Pradesh’s wider strategy
to develop integrated aerospace, electronics, clean energy, and advanced
manufacturing clusters, positioning Visakhapatnam as a strategic industrial and
technology gateway on India’s east coast.