Article Posted on : - Dec 14, 2009

Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam.

NEW DELHI (BNS): The State-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), which is currently being used by the Shipping Ministry to build ships, could be used for constructing nuclear submarines after it is transferred to the Defence Ministry.

The Union Cabinet, which has received a letter from the Shipping Ministry in this regard, is expected to consider the proposal soon, media reports here said.

Negotiations were going on between the two ministries for quite some time to transfer the shipyard to the Defence Ministry for strategic purposes.

Besides building around 150 ships and repairing another 1800, Visakhapatnam-based HSL has also undertaken naval repair works.

As Indian Navy plans to induct a fleet of nuclear submarines in its arsenal in the coming years, the HSL would be of critical importance for constructing the subs.