Shipbuilding activity has taken a lead
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Harish C Narula, chairman, Fibroplast Marine, Noida, which designs and manufactures commercial and defence boats for the Indian Navy, Indian Army, CRPF, BSF, NCC, Coast Guard, amongst others.
What’s the scope in this industry in India? What’s the manpower 
requirement?
In India, naval architects have been scarce. There were only two colleges teaching naval architecture — IIT Kharagpur and Madras. For the last two years, there has been no (graduate) naval architect (taking up a naval architecture job) in India. So, the real problem is, many good naval architects get into management positions or work in China, Korea and Singapore (because of higher salaries).That’s the supply side.
Government shipbuilding activity has taken a lead. After the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, there is a coastal security requirement. The government wants more ships and boats — for the navy, coast guard, and coastal police to patrol the country’s coastline.
Also, after the September 11 attacks on the US, a UN convention requires every country to patrol and protect sea lanes where ships are moving in its territorial waters. So, more fleets are required.
But due to the shortage of (graduate) naval architects, the Navy and the Indian Register of Shipping are being forced to take other graduates — civil engineers, chemical engineers and train them but they can’t have in-depth design capability.
The government needs to have more institutes of three-year diploma courses. At the same time, it needs to plan and increase seats in four- and five-year degree programmes in naval architecture.
I would like to add that all naval architecture institutes teach shipbuilding and ship design, not boats. Now boats are required in thousands for disaster mitigation, rescue operations during floods, fishing, patrolling.
So, where do you hire people from?
We take fresh graduates and train them on the job.
Author: HT Horizon
Date: 6th May, 2010
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