NEW DELHI: India launched a new naval research centre for warships on Tuesday, part of efforts by the South Asian giant to build its sea defences and counter the perceived threat of China in the Indian Ocean. Defense Minister A.K. Antony laid the foundation stone for the National Institute for Research and Development in Shipbuilding (NIRDESH) in the southern state of Kerala, which will be built at a cost of $133 million. The facility, which will be up and running in two years, will help develop technology for “drawing board to delivery” of warships for the 136-vessel Indian navy, a naval official said in New Delhi. The Kerala unit will work independently of the national Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), with the aim of reducing India's dependence on military imports, which mostly come from Russia. New Delhi is wary of growing Chinese influence around the Indian Ocean, where Beijing has funded or plans to invest in major infrastructure projects, including ports in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and military-ruled Myanmar. In August, two Chinese warships raised eyebrows in Delhi when they sailed to neighbouring Myanmar for a rare visit to promote ties between the allied countries' armed forces. – Agence France
