GSI’s Director General Varsha Ashok Aglawe was the chief guest at the keel-laying ceremony held on Tuesday. Senior officials from GRSE, GSI, TNSL and Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) were also present.   The 64-metre-long and 13-metre-wide vessels will have a deadweight tonnage of about 461 tonnes, an endurance of 15 days and a top speed of 10 knots. Each vessel will accommodate up to 35 personnel.   The CRVs will support offshore geological mapping, mineral exploration, including dredging, ocean environment monitoring and research. They will be equipped with scientific laboratories for data processing and sample analysis and Dynamic Positioning-1 systems to maintain their position in Sea State 3. The vessels will use diesel-electric propulsion, with diesel generators driving the thrusters, and will operate within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at depths ranging from 5 to 1,000 metres.   The order reflects GRSE’s experience in designing and building specialised vessels. The shipyard is currently constructing an Ocean Research Vessel for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences and an Acoustic Research Ship for the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), a DRDO establishment. GRSE has previously delivered two series of Sandhayak-class survey vessels to the Indian Navy and the marine acoustic research ship INS Sagardhwani to NPOL in 1994. The shipyard has also recently received a Notification of Award from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for the construction of four Platform Supply Vessels.   GSI Director General Varsha Ashok Aglawe said the two vessels would strengthen India’s capabilities in exploring mineral resources beyond the country’s land borders and play a key role in expanding offshore mineral exploration capabilities.   GRSE CMD Cmde PR Hari (Retd) said the keel laying marked the transition from design and planning to physical construction and expressed confidence that the vessels would be delivered to GSI on schedule and in line with high quality standards.