Bharat Forge Limited, in partnership with the Andhra Pradesh government, has launched India’s first private-sector marine gas turbine manufacturing and maintenance facility, marking a major milestone in the country’s defence and maritime industrial capabilities.
The facility has been established in Visakhapatnam and is aimed at supporting indigenous development, manufacturing, repair, overhaul, and servicing of marine gas turbine systems used in naval vessels and advanced maritime platforms. The initiative aligns with India’s broader Atmanirbhar Bharat and defence indigenisation strategy focused on reducing dependence on imported propulsion technologies.
According to officials, the facility will initially focus on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations for marine gas turbines powering Indian Navy warships and other maritime platforms. Over time, the centre is expected to expand into component manufacturing, assembly integration, testing, and advanced marine propulsion system development.
Marine gas turbines are among the most sophisticated propulsion technologies used globally in naval destroyers, frigates, aircraft carriers, and high-speed maritime vessels due to their high power-to-weight ratio, rapid acceleration capability, and operational reliability. India has historically depended heavily on imported propulsion systems and overseas servicing support for several naval platforms.
Industry experts believe the new facility could significantly strengthen India’s maritime defence ecosystem by improving domestic servicing capability, reducing maintenance turnaround time, lowering lifecycle costs, and enhancing operational readiness for naval fleets. The development is also expected to reduce foreign exchange outflow linked to overseas repairs and imported propulsion support.
The Andhra Pradesh government has increasingly positioned Visakhapatnam as a major defence and maritime manufacturing hub due to its strategic coastal location, strong naval presence, shipbuilding ecosystem, and expanding industrial infrastructure. The city already hosts major defence establishments, shipyards, naval dockyards, and advanced engineering industries.
Bharat Forge, part of the Kalyani Group, has been rapidly expanding its presence across aerospace, defence manufacturing, artillery systems, armoured platforms, naval technologies, and advanced engineering sectors. The company has increasingly focused on high-value defence production under India’s domestic manufacturing push.
The marine gas turbine initiative is expected to complement India’s growing naval expansion programme, which includes indigenous aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, submarines, and unmanned maritime systems. The Indian Navy has been steadily increasing the share of indigenous content in new warship programmes, with current estimates placing domestic sourcing levels at over 75 per cent for several advanced naval platforms.
Industry observers noted that the launch of India’s first private marine gas turbine facility represents a strategic shift in the country’s maritime industrial landscape by bringing advanced propulsion technology capabilities into the private sector while strengthening collaboration between government, defence agencies, and domestic manufacturing companies.
