Next Generation VR Lab at GRSE ushers in a new era of indigenous shipbuilding

Reinforcing its commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat and indigenous shipbuilding, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, took a significant leap in digital ship design and construction by inaugurating its Next Generation Virtual Reality (NGVR) Lab at the Main Works Unit, Kolkata.

The state-of-the-art facility marks a major step towards enhancing self-reliant, technology-driven warship design and production capabilities in the country.

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The Next Generation VR Lab was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A), Indian Navy. Among those present were Cmde PR Hari, IN (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN (Retd), Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE, Capt (IN) P Sunilkumar (Retd), Director (Corporate Planning & Personnel), GRSE, Shri Niranjan Bhalerao, Director (Finance), GRSE and other senior officials from Indian Navy & GRSE.

GRSE already had a VR Lab since 2018, and with technological advances being made in the field of ship design and digital shipbuilding, GRSE made the move to upgrade the existing facility into a next generation VR Lab. This is part of the shipyard’s continuing effort to remain future-ready and build modern, state-of-the-art platforms as per the requirements of the Indian Navy, Indian Coastguard and friendly foreign countries.

The new facility enables immersive, true 1:1 scale visualisation of ship designs, allowing stakeholders to experience compartments, systems, and workflows with unmatched clarity, transforming traditional design review into an intelligent, data-driven process.

At the heart of this NGVR Lab lies a continuously evolving Digital Twin, seamlessly synchronised with design, engineering, and construction data. While physical construction of a ship is underway, this digital twin enables real-time validation of layouts, equipment installation, accessibility, maintainability, and safety throughout the ship’s lifecycle ~ from concept design to construction and future upgrades.

Augmented Reality (AR) integration extends the digital twin onto the shop floor by superimposing virtual ship models onto physical structures, guiding construction, inspection, and alignment activities, and ensuring faithful realisation of design intent during execution.

Overall, the Next Generation VR Lab at GRSE represents a future-ready convergence of immersive visualisation, digital twin technology, and integrated construction technology.