Self Reliance in Defence Repairs: Krasny Defence Technologies Pvt Ltd

With over two decades of excellence in the field of defence equipment maintenance, Krasny Defence Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is expanding its business horizons in India’s defence sector. The company is a three-dimensional services enterprise engaged in rendering technical maintenance and logistic support for the state-of-the-art equipment or systems of the Indian Navy, Naval Aviation and the Indian Coast Guard. With its moto “Serving to Grow & Growing to Serve”, Krasny is today the most preferred ship repair yard for the Indian Coast Guard, successfully undertaking Electrical & Electronic packages, Emergency Dry Dockings and wholesome refits of ICG vessels. Krasny is manned and managed by technocrats of ex-Defence Services, Naval Dockyards and Merchant Marine.

Established in 1995, Krasny is the first private sector initiative in the field of defence equipment maintenance, when this sector was an exclusive preserve of public-sector companies and defence establishments. It is also the first company in the country formed under the ‘SEMFEX Scheme’ [Self Employment Scheme for Ex-servicemen] in the year 1995, with a business model of “harnessing the unutilized core competence of ex- servicemen” to service the highly technical naval equipment.

Krasny has set unparalleled records in refit of ships upholding high quality standards, project management skills, timely contract completion, etc. It has over 38 wholesome refits to its credit, all done before time. All these have been achieved without having its own dry dock. This disadvantage is being addressed by tie up with other shipyards along the Western and Eastern Coast.

The Service Support Portfolio of the companies comprises of ship refits&repairs, electronic repairs, outfitting of new ships, turnkey services to OEMs, design support, logistic support (Supply of MIL grade components, Russian origin spares & components, connectors, etc.) and after sales service support.

A few words of the journey thus far! With the turnkey refit of Indian Coast Guard Ship Vivek in 1995, Krasny became the front runner among the private sector ship repair yards. In 1998, Krasny created the first Indo-Ukrainian Joint Venture in India in the private sector aimed at providing front line product support for the state of the art ‘Orion family of Gas Turbine Control Systems installed on board 1241RE class of missile boats of the Indian Navy. This JV, Yugsudo Engineering Services Pvt Ltd was the first private company to undertake turnkey modernization of Orion control systems on the two indigenously built missile boats in India at Mazagon Docks Ltd. and Goa Shipyard, Goa.

The formation of the first ever Indo-Russian JV in the private sector with a world renowned Russian Govt. company, Concern Avrora Corporation in July 2001 was a milestone. The JV was subsequently instrumental in supplying high technology control systems for India’s prestigious stealth frigate Project–P17 as also the indigenously built Large Landing Craft of the Indian Navy. Creation of Rosoboronservice (India) Ltd, an Indo-Russian Joint Venture [JV] company incorporated in Apr 2005 under a Presidential Decree of the Government of Russian Federation with 7 Russian OEMs and Rosoboronexportas partners for providing the complete after sales service support for Russian equipment in service with the Indian Armed Forces, was a unique pioneering effort of Krasny and undoubtedly one of its kind achievement.

Winds of change began to blow in ‘after sales support from Russia’, ever since more and more enterprises received the authority for direct foreign economic activity in military purpose products (MPP) wherein they no longer need to operate through Rosoboronexport. JSC Agat, one of the giant “Concerns” with a history of over 70 years is one amongst them. Presiding over 16 important institutes & plants dealing with cutting edge military technology, JSC Agat is a leader in Fire Control Systems, Combat Information Control Systems and Computed Aided Integrated Ship Management Systems. Their systems are widely in use onboard Indian Naval platforms. Krasny has entered into a partnership agreement with JSC Agat to synergize and enhance the after sales support from JSC Agat. This is a significant event in Krasny’s chequered history.

More recently, Krasny has been an active participant in the “Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) sponsored, Military – Industrial Conference (MIC) held in Delhi in March 2017 and Aug 2017 at Moscow being one amongst the firms identified and approved for collaboration with Russian OEMs, to progress towards enabling the Russian OEMs in enhancing after sales service and exploring joint manufacturing of spares and parts in line with the Make-In-India initiative.

In the last the two decades, Kransy has received many accolades from the satisfied customers. Recognition as Entrepreneur of the year in Aerospace awards, Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award, Indian Solidarity Council Gold Star Award ,and Vijay Rattan Gold Medal for outstanding achievements by CMD in 2013 and more recent SKOCH award 2018 for Corporate Excellence and Order of Merit are rare recognition of the stout effort of the team under the Visionary leadership of VG Jayapraksan. His noble gesture of providing for infrastructure, equipment for a primary school in his native village and encouraging poor children with scholarship assistance is another less known facet of the CMD.

Spearheading as a leader in the field of defence equipment and ship maintenance in the country, Krasny Defence is in pursuit of further opportunities in defence sector to consolidate the basket of customised service support for the three services.