GRSE inaugurates next generation VR Lab to boost indigenous digital shipbuilding

New Delhi: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) has taken a major step towards strengthening indigenous digital shipbuilding capabilities with the inauguration of its Next Generation Virtual Reality (NGVR) Lab at the company’s Main Works Unit in Kolkata.

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The state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, AVSM, NM, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A), Indian Navy, underscoring the strategic importance of advanced digital technologies in future warship design and construction. Senior officials from the Indian Navy and GRSE, including Chairman and Managing Director Cmde P.R. Hari (Retd), Director (Shipbuilding) Cdr Shantanu Bose (Retd), Director (Corporate Planning & Personnel) Capt (IN) P. Sunilkumar (Retd) and Director (Finance) Niranjan Bhalerao, were present on the occasion.

The NGVR Lab marks a significant upgrade of GRSE’s earlier VR facility, which had been operational since 2018. With rapid technological advancements in digital shipbuilding, the shipyard has modernised the facility to remain future-ready and aligned with the evolving requirements of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and friendly foreign navies.

The new lab enables immersive, true 1:1 scale visualisation of ship designs, allowing designers, engineers and naval stakeholders to virtually experience ship compartments, systems and workflows. This capability transforms conventional design reviews into a more intelligent, data-driven process, facilitating early detection of design issues and improved decision-making.

A key feature of the NGVR Lab is the integration of a continuously evolving digital twin, synchronised with design, engineering and construction data. Even as physical construction progresses, the digital twin allows real-time validation of layouts, equipment installation, accessibility, maintainability and safety across the ship’s lifecycle—from concept and detailed design to construction and future upgrades.

The facility also incorporates augmented reality (AR), extending digital models onto the shop floor by overlaying virtual ship components onto physical structures. This supports construction, inspection and alignment activities, ensuring accurate translation of design intent during execution.

According to GRSE, the Next Generation VR Lab represents a convergence of immersive visualisation, digital twin technology and integrated construction tools, aimed at enhancing design accuracy, improving build quality, reducing construction cycle time and supporting informed, technology-driven shipbuilding. The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision and reinforces GRSE’s role in advancing self-reliant warship design and production in the country.

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