By Admin 
India now seems to be more serious about its energy security. Till now, India was dependent on foreign tankers for supply of crude oil, but now preparations have been made to change this story. The government’s intention is that India should have its own oil tanker fleet, which also controls India and construction.
Why was there dependency on foreign tankers?
Till now, India’s government oil companies have been using tankers hired from most foreign companies. Many of these ships are also old and expensive. This not only makes logistics expensive, but also strategic control does not remain with India.
A big plan to buy 112 new tankers
Now the government is going to take a big step. India will buy a total of 112 new crude oil tankers. The scheme is about Rs 85,000 crore (about 10 billion dollars) and will be implemented by 2040. The project will start from the purchase of 79 ships, out of which 30 medium range will be carriers.
The first order may come this month
According to government sources, the first order can be released by the end of this month, which will include the purchase of 10 tankers. This will be the first episode of this long term scheme.
Big opportunity for ‘Make in India’
The special thing about this scheme is that these tankers will be constructed only in India. Even if it is partnership with a foreign company, the condition is that construction should be done in India itself. This will give a tremendous boost to the shipbuilding industry of the country and will also create local employment opportunities.
Why is India buying a tanker?
The world may be moving towards clean energy now, but India’s energy needs are growing fast. The demand for petroleum products in the country is continuously increasing, whether it is for domestic use or for export. This is the reason that India is working on a plan to increase its refining capacity from 250 million tonnes to 450 million tonnes by 2030.
The number of indigenous tankers will increase
Currently, only 5 percent of the oil tankers that India have, only 5 percent of the tankers remain in India. The government aims to reach 7 per cent by 2030 and to 69 per cent by 2047, which is associated with the vision of India becoming a developed nation.
Now new India will be built
This move of the government will not only give India logistic and strategic strength, but it will be a solid and big step towards the ‘self -sufficient India’ campaign. Now the oil will come from there, but the tanker and control will be completely native.
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