Reinforcing its commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat and indigenous shipbuilding, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. has taken a major stride in digital ship design and construction with the inauguration of its Next Generation Virtual Reality (NGVR) Lab at the Main Works Unit in Kolkata. The state-of-the-art facility marks a significant advancement in India’s journey towards self-reliant, technology-driven warship design and production.
The NGVR Lab was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, AVSM, NM, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A), Indian Navy. Senior dignitaries present on the occasion included Cmde P.R. Hari, IN (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE; Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN (Retd.), Director (Shipbuilding); Capt. (IN) P. Sunilkumar (Retd.), Director (Corporate Planning & Personnel); Shri Niranjan Bhalerao, Director (Finance), GRSE; along with senior officials from the Indian Navy and GRSE.
GRSE has been operating a VR Lab since 2018. However, rapid technological advancements in digital shipbuilding and design necessitated the upgradation of the existing facility into a next-generation platform. The NGVR Lab reflects GRSE’s continuous efforts to remain future-ready and deliver modern, cutting-edge platforms to the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and friendly foreign nations.
The new facility enables immersive, true 1:1 scale visualization of ship designs, allowing designers, engineers, and end-users to virtually experience ship compartments, systems, and workflows with exceptional clarity. This capability transforms conventional design reviews into an intelligent, data-driven process, significantly enhancing design validation and collaboration.
At the core of the NGVR Lab is a continuously evolving Digital Twin, seamlessly integrated with design, engineering, and construction data. As physical construction progresses, the digital twin facilitates real-time validation of layouts, equipment installation, accessibility, maintainability, and safety—supporting the entire ship lifecycle from concept and construction to future upgrades.
Further enhancing its capabilities, Augmented Reality (AR) integration extends the digital twin onto the shop floor by superimposing virtual ship models onto physical structures. This guides construction, inspection, and alignment activities, ensuring precise execution and faithful realization of design intent.
The Next Generation VR Lab at GRSE represents a future-ready convergence of immersive visualization, digital twin technology, and integrated construction processes. It is poised to deliver enhanced design accuracy, superior build quality, reduced construction cycle time, and more informed decision-making—cementing GRSE’s position at the forefront of advanced shipbuilding in India.
