Three companies from India are exploring business opportunities in Ghana in the shipping, electronics and weapon space.

The firms – Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Bharat Electronics Limited and Ordnance Factory Board, are participating in the maiden International Maritime Defense Exhibition & Conference in Accra, where they seek to foster collaborations with the government and the private sector in the supply and utilisation of their products in the country.

While Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), an international shipbuilder is hoping that the Ghana Navy and the government will give them the opportunity to share their expertise, Bharat Electronics Limited is hopeful that it deplores its skills in the education and trade facilitation areas.

Ordnance Factory Board, on the other hand, has expressed its willingness to work with the Ministries of Defence and the Interior to retool the various security services.

The Director in-charge of Shipbuilding at MDL, Rtd Admiral A.K. Saxena, said on the sidelines of the conference that the company was ready to assist the government to develop the Tema Shipyard and Drydock into multi-purpose facilities that could design ships and accessories for the West African market.

He said the company, which was based in Mumbai, India, had the needed capacity to support Ghana to secure its territorial waters.

MDL, also called shipbuilder to the nation, is a public shipyard under the Ministry of Defence.

Its main activities are construction of warships, submarines and merchant ships with facilities situated in Mumbai.

The yard has design capabilities to undertake detailed design of surface ships for both the military and for commercial use with the latest ship design software along with virtual reality laboratory that enables efficient production design. MDL was established in 1774 and was taken over by the Government of India in 1960.

So far, MDL has constructed and delivered 795 ships (including 25 warships and three submarines) and 67 offshore platforms.

At present, MDL is undertaking the construction of eight surface ships and five submarines and also carrying out refit of one submarine and one frigate.

Rtd Saxena stated that the yard could provide vessels to provide maritime security for offshore oil installations, solutions for antipiracy as well as illegal fishing. MDL can offer a wide range of vessels such as OPVs, Fast Patrol Boats, Fast attack crafts and offshore structures for these purposes.

In addition, MDL can also provide a variety of other vessels such as multipurpose support vessel, tugs, dredgers, water tankers, passenger cum cargo vessels, floating cranes, offshore supply vessels, pontoons etc.

MDL, in addition to supplying ships and offshore structures, is also willing to provide handholding during design construction outside India, as well as training for personnel through the OEMs of equipment.

The yard has recently modernised infrastructure and augmented its capacity by acquiring more land parcels and water front.

Bharat Electronic Limted (BEL), another prestigious enterprise under MOD of the Government of India, is also participating in the IMDEC 2019. Set up in Bangalore (1954), BEL is a premier electronics company for the development, manufacture of professional-grade electronic equipment, systems and components.

BEL has achieved progressive self-reliance in designing and manufacturing of equipment for Defence Communications, Electronic Warfare Systems, Radars & Sonars, Opto-Electronics, C4I Systems, Tank Electronics, Meteorology, Space Electronics, Civil Aviation, Medicare, Solar Photovoltaic-based Systems and Electronic Components.

BEL provides turnkey systems solutions, contract manufacturing services on “Build to Print”, “Build to Spec” basis with the manufacturing units certified for ISO 9000/AS 9100D, ISO 14000 certification for Environment Management System.

Ordnance Factory Board is the third Indian company participating in IMDEC 2019. The Indian Ordnance Factories – termed as “The Fourth Pillar” of India’s defense, is a conglomerate of 41 factories with more than 200 years of experience in defense production.

OFB has a comprehensive product range offered in areas of land, air and marine defense systems. These include small, medium and large calibre weapons and ammunition, mortars, explosives and pyrotechnics.

OFBs also supply armoured and soft skin vehicles, optical and night vision devices and parachutes. The products are having wide international acceptability, including NATO countries.