Team Blitz India
INDIAN and US authorities are scrutinising Kolkata Port for a potential new Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) aimed at facilitating access for US warships to repair at the port, sources familiar with the matter revealed.
Last year, the US Navy inked MSRA deals with Larsen and Toubro along with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. Cochin Shipyard Ltd also joined this initiative last month by signing a similar agreement. These accords grant the US Navy access to Indian ports, including Cochin and Chennai’s Kattupalli, with ongoing discussions for a potential MSRA agreement with Goa Shipyard Ltd.
“MSRA qualifies a shipyard to compete for carrying out ship repair projects for US Navy. The MSRA includes clauses on security, payments, liabilities etc. The agreement is reviewed every five years, or as required.
Undertaking repairs of these ships serves the commercial interest of Indian shipbuilders and will potentially lead to more such opportunities. An American Navy ship shall be berthed in an Indian shipyard for the duration of its repair,” minister of state for defence Ajay Bhatt told the Lok Sabha in 2023.
Expanding Network
The inclusion of Kolkata Port in this expanding network is poised to bolster India’s defence ties with the United States, while also potentially attracting interest from American allies such as the UK in utilising India as a hub for ship maintenance and repair. In March of this year, the UK’s Royal Navy announced that two of its auxiliary ships would undergo repair and maintenance at Katupalli Shipyard in Chennai.
These agreements underscore the deepening defence partnership between New Delhi and Washington, which has rapidly evolved over the past two decades. Both nations conduct numerous military exercises, have signed several foundational defence agreements, and have unveiled plans for cooperation between their defence industries, including the proposed coproduction of the F-414 jet engine in India by HAL and General Electric.
