Kolkata: After successfully launching two voluntary retirement schemes, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Eastern India's largest shipbuilding company, is planning to pare the workforce from 6,800 to 5,500 and increase outsourcing and designing work to optimise facility utilisation.

"We have a current workforce of 6,800. We are planning to bring this down to 5,500. We have already implemented two VRS. Trimming of the workforce now will be through natural farewell," company chairman and managing director Rear Admiral Rajiv Paralikar said after the launch of the Navy's Landing Ship Tank "Shardul" at GRSE today (April 3, 2004).

He said however that "fresh inductions" would be made into the workforce "to offset the average gap created by retirements".

Stating that the Navy had ordered two more LST(L)s from GRSE, Paralikar said that for the next ship, his company would outsource 50 per cent of the hull and pipework. "The idea is to have pre-fabricated parts brought in from outside and assemble it here. This will cut production time and, therefore, costs."

Paralikar said that steps had been taken to outsource designing by seeking assistance from outside. "In this, we have got some results. GRSE has achieved the distinction of being among the few shipyards in the country whose design office works round-the-clock," he said.

Earlier, "Shardul" was launched by Renu Bansal, wife of Flag Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral O P Bansal.