The sixth edition of India Boat and Marine Show (IBMS), which highlights the country’s boating, marine and water sports industry-related expo, began at Bolgatty Palace Event Centre on February 8 (Thursday).
An array of PSUs, boat builders and others have put up exhibits and stalls at the event that will be on till February 10 (Saturday). It comes within a month of the launch of ₹4,000-crore worth ship-repair and allied projects of Cochin Shipyard Limited. Stakeholders in the sector are hopeful that the city will emerge as a hub for both ship repair and building.
Furniture-cum-emergency boat
Among the exhibits at IBMS, is a furniture-cum-emergency boat designed by a team led by Prof. S Muthukumaran, Head of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, NIT, Tiruchirapalli. “It cost less than ₹25,000 and was developed after seeing the suffering that people underwent during the 2016 Chennai floods. I was deeply worried and wanted a solution so that aged people like my mother, children and even differently-abled people can be moved to safer locations in the event of a similar flood.”
This furniture cum emergency boat (and hence named ‘fureboat’) has been designed so that it can be regularly used as a cot or seating space within the house. It could be deployed as an emergency boat by just flipping it to the opposite side allowing people to sit within. The Ship Technology Department of CUSAT, certified it as safe for use as a rescue boat for up to three people. “It can carry up to seven people and can even be used for two purposes within boats. The vessel came in handy when Tuticorin was flooded in December following unprecedented rainfall,” Prof Muthukumaran said.
The other interesting exhibits include various types of gear boxes, including those used in Kochi Water Metro ferries and in big fishing trawlers. “All these were manufactured at our foundry and are approved by among others, the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). Our firm has applied for patent for having built the ‘smallest gear box’,” said Fattesinh S. Jadhav, Senior GM (Sales and Marketing) of the firm. He expressed concern that the government officials and other decision makers for not promoting indigenous manufacturers of quality machinery and components for boats, despite the Make In India campaign.
Joseph Kuriakose, Director of Cruz Expos, the organisers of IBMS hoped the boat show would play a pivotal role in bringing together leading suppliers and MSME players, to reap the benefits of these growth prospects.
Different types of boats, including speed boats, their engines and other components, models of docking platforms, weed harvesters, solar or electric aquatic trash collectors, cage fish farming units, floating walkways, navigational systems are on display. An industry pavilion showcases Kerala-based SMEs, especially boatyards and equipment manufacturers.
A vendor development programme would be organised on Friday and this networking B2B meet would see the participation of defence and other PSUs, shipyards, ports and other agencies involved in these sectors from across the country. It would focus on products and services that could be offered by MSME units to various PSUs and agencies in the sector, the organisers said.
The show was inaugurated by N. Ravi, DIG, District Commander, Coast Guard (Kerala and Mahe).
